First Move
by bakasai42
Summary: Chapter 10 up. Set after the last filler arc in the anime. Shika barely escapes the frying pan, and is now Temari's official guide to Konoha. But he's jumping straight into two gourmet fires... read and review, please! [ShikaTema]
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. By declaring this, I steal nothing.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Thank you to my wonderful sisters, who were patient enough to be my editors and beta readers. I owe you guys!

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It's too much trouble.

I didn't want any of it. It makes blonde, orange-jacketed whiskered boys act like idiots. It makes old, grey-haired men act like morons. It's especially bad for me, because it makes me feel like I've lost control.

It's so much easier with games; there are lots of pieces, there are many possibilities, but there are limitations, boundaries, and rules you can follow and work around and bend to achieve your objective. Even the objective is so much simpler. How much simpler than "beat the other guy" can you get?

Today, I feel like I'm playing on the biggest board in the world, and I'm the only piece, and the objective...

Hell, I don't even know if she's playing the same game, or if she's interested at all. She's a remarkable strategist, and she's very perceptive and sharp when sufficiently challenged. But challenging or provoking her is the farthest thing from my mind. That'll most probably just make things more difficult later on, and I don't want to work any more than I have to.

Still, I have to know what she's thinking. To get some insight...

First step: I have to set things up.

"Oi, kage boy."

"Huh?"

She's here already. She didn't show herself immediately, and watched me from the trees first. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"You've been staring blankly into space for a good thirty seconds now. And your hands are making that O thing again."

Damn it.

"So you got the message. That's good. I was starting to get worried."

It was troublesome, writing that message and delivering it. Even though Konoha is currently allied with the Sand Village, they still kept their lodgings very secure. Wire traps, hidden seals, simple alarms… it took a good two hours of thorough reconnaissance just to get that message to her, and I had to leave immediately to avoid getting caught. I didn't even confirm that she read it. I hate taking chances like that, but I had to.

"Still think that women can't handle themselves? It's a useless stereotype, you know," she says. She brought the fan, of course. She doesn't know what I'm up to yet. I made sure of that. "It'll get you killed one of these days. Then again, the fact that you handled yourself pretty well against the flute lady probably means you've learned a few things since we last fought…"

I stand up and dust the loose splinters off. "I don't want a fight," I say, watching her closely. She doesn't want a rematch, either; otherwise she wouldn't waste time talking like this. She may be big on honor, but she knows that the forest is my territory; lots of shadows to use. Knowing this, she would've tried to ambush me in order to pre-empt any attacks I could make. But she relinquished her advantage the moment she spoke out and gave her position away.

"Oh? Then what did you call me out here for?" she says, jumping onto the branch across from mine. She doesn't seem surprised; the fact that she just went deeper within my zone of effectiveness confirms that she trusts me somewhat. But the fan's still poised, ready to defend or counter at any time.

She's facing me now, eyes narrowed, jaw set. She wants answers. Unfortunately, I don't have any good ones on hand.

Guess I have no choice… "No reason, really."

She cocks an eyebrow. That wasn't the answer she was expecting. "No reason? You don't want a fight? You don't need me for a mission?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to fight… that's what I said last time, but this time I'll stick to it. There's no mission, either. Just trust me when I say I have no motive or agenda."

She still doesn't buy it. "It's true that you didn't set any traps in the area. I made sure of that. But why did you call me out here, into the forest? Don't think I didn't notice all the shadows."

I stand up and empty out my pockets. I circle around for good measure showing her my back, and continue turning until I face her again. "I'm not carrying any weapons. Besides, why would I fight you now, when just yesterday I wasted huge amounts of chakra fighting the flute lady, as you call her? As for calling you out for a mission, I'm just a chounin. The higher-ups probably wouldn't trust me with such information just yet, especially after my performance on this last one. Even if you say that there's a shortage of ninjas, they wouldn't send me out on a mission so soon."

She looks at me warily. She knows I'm not going to fight her, and it's not a mission. But she also knows what a weasel I can be. "So you're just wasting my time."

I walk towards her, arms spread out. No tricks, no hidden seals. "No one's wasting your time," I say. Now I'm within three feet of where she's standing. She can attack me at any time…

Seconds pass.

Finally convinced, she hoists the fan upward and rests it across her nape. "Contacting someone out of the blue without a reason _is_ wasting time. You went through all the trouble of writing that message on autocorrosive paper. You indicated a specific rendezvous point and meeting time. The message was very direct and concise. So naturally I assume its something urgent, like the Sound ninjas coming back. But you're telling me that we're here, skulking around in the branches, for nothing?"

"It wasn't for nothing."

"Then _why_ are we here?" she insisted, steel resonating in her voice. "I don't know how you do things here in Konoha, but back home, every day is life and death. No one goes through all that trouble unless it's really important. Crossed wires could result in a failed mission, or worse…"

"I thought we could spend some time together."

This catches her off-guard. It catches me off-guard.

"What?"

I take a deep breath. Why did I cut her off? That probably just made things a little harder, but there's no going back now. "Chouji and I usually watch clouds around here," I say, "but he's in the hospital. I'd ask my other friends, but they're all still recuperating because of me... partly because of me. Sakura's depressed about Sasuke going to Orochimaru, and it'd be too much trouble to try and cheer her up when I know next to nothing about their situation. Right now, you're the closest thing I have to a friend who's free."

She tilts her head to one side. "So you called me out here because you had no one else to ask?"

"Yes, you could say that."

"That's kind of sad," she says with exaggerated disdain. She's always too familiar with her opponents… not the familiarity one finds with friends or family, but the kind of familiarity that borders on contempt.

"Glad you think so, too. Anyway, I had to make it sound important or else you would've dismissed the message offhand. You knew the location was suspicious, too, so you probably would've thought it was a trap—even though you came knowing it wasn't, it took me some time to convince you that I didn't want trouble. And I'm not wasting your time because you aren't doing anything right now. The mission's over; you Sand guys are just hanging around here until you go home."

"And you think I'd want to spend that time staring at clouds with you?" She still sounds so incredulous. I have to admit, it's really a lame thing to hear after all that cloak-and-dagger stuff.

"I just thought I'd invite you. If you think that clouds are too boring to watch, you can just watch me watch them. Your compatriots don't seem to be much fun to hang around with, anyway. I'm sure Gaara's a delight in closed spaces."

She still looks serious, but her expression has softened a little bit. "What happened to the whole man and woman thing? Usually you wouldn't shut up about it." Her voice isn't as sharp, either. In hindsight, I realize that saying that about Gaara was risky; it could've gone either way. But looks like it paid off.

"Usually. But it's not about men and women today. I'm tired, and it would be too troublesome to make things so complicated. For now, it would be easier to think of it as just 'you and me'."

She looks at me, then turns around and looks at the clouds. They float slowly, and they obscure the sun for just a moment, casting a shadow on the forest below. I can't read her expression from this angle.

"The clouds are more interesting, I think," she says finally. She goes over to where I was earlier, and sits down in the shade.

"I always thought so," I reply, sitting down beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing, so I can steal nothing. Nobody's paid me for this, and nobody probably will. It's just something I like to do, and a lot of people like to do as well.

Second Move

Big ones, small ones, fat ones, thin ones--all manner and type of cloud passed above, as Shikamaru the shadow ninja and Temari the wind ninja looked on below. The forest had grown significantly quieter; the bugs had stopped their noises for the time being. They sat side by side, resting on the branch of one of the particularly ancient but magnificent trees. The air smelled of fresh leaves, which was hardly surprising, but there was a slightly fresh quality to it that one did not usually expect.

Leaning against the trunk, he wore the same lazy, almost pathetically envious expression that he wore every time he looked up at the sky, while she wore the same impassive look, which had been tainted with something that almost seemed like pleasantness. She, too, leaned on the trunk, so close to him that their shoulders were touching. Large as the branch was, there was only so much room for them both, but neither of them seemed to mind.

The cloud-watching was going strangely well. There was a silence between them, but it wasn't born of awkwardness or tension. It was simply respecting each other's space. He knew it--no, he felt it. Still, it would be better if they talked. At the end, you should know more about your opponent. It was a secret objective that he knew was hidden in every game, and he was normally able to unmask the other without having to reveal anything about himself.

One thing he never did, though, was lie. He was good at misdirection and omission, sure. He had to be, in order to be a true shadow master. But making yourself out to be something that you're not? It seemed unfair, somehow, a special kind of unfair that the weasel in him simply refused to touch. He couldn't bring himself to accept that, which is why he didn't like to use illusionary techniques. He could see the _point_, but he couldn't agree with it. Besides, his personality was so complex that it was too much trouble to try and think up alternatives to wear for every person--at least, that's how he justified it. Hide behind trees, keep your distance, sneak in shadows, but never, ever wear a mask. That's something other people were good at, although usually not good enough to fool him.

She was wearing one. He was almost certain of it. What kind of mask it was, or what it was for, he couldn't be sure of yet. But he knew it was a trick. Her personality was like a sandstorm; abrasive, hard to endure, and impossible to see through. But he had patience. Eventually, he would get through.

All he had to do was begin.

Too bad she beat him to it.

"You do know that only sad old men and little kids enjoy watching clouds, right?" She said, balancing her folded-up fan on her lap.

He chose to ignore this. It was obviously a feint, not a real attack.

"I'm impressed. Usually people don't stay with me this long. And you haven't even complained." _Until then, that is, but that didn't count_.

She scoffed. "The desert teaches you a lot about patience. There's no shade for miles, the sun beats into the landscape, and the sand constantly shifts under your feet. It's not exactly paradise. Once you've learned not to complain about that, then you pretty much forget to complain about where you are."

"I'm sure I could learn to live there, though, if I tried."

"I doubt you could, shadowboy. Shadows only go so far in the desert. And you might think it's a boring place, since it has no seasons or landmarks, but it can be very treacherous. You'll get swallowed up if you don't know what to watch out for."

_She's challenging me_, he thought. _Well, far be it for a man to back down..._

"I know how to read the terrain, fan-girl. I've learned about the importance of geography, and how a situation can change in an instant if you don't watch out."

"But it's no use if you don't know what to watch out for," she says with exasperation, almost as soon as he finished his sentence. "It's not that I think you're stupid. I know what you can do. But the desert's relentless, and it's all around you, and it goes on forever. It's not a game that ends quickly. And from what I've seen, you're not exactly the poster boy for hope against overwhelming odds."

A cloud drifts by, momentarily shading the world. He raised his left leg up onto the branch, and rested his elbow on his knee, and put his chin in the crook of his arm. His head lay to one side, his eyes remained fixed on the sky above. His right leg dangled off the branch, and his right hand gripped a smaller branch just above to steady himself. Overall, it gave the impression of a puppet, left carelessly in the corner of a workshop by an absent-minded Gepetto.

"That was different, you know. If I'm ever in a desert, I'd certainly try my hardest to win."

"Oh? So You think I'm not worth taking seriously as an opponent?"

"It's not that," he replied. She was very formidable, and he really did take her seriously. As an opponent, she was probably the best he's ever had. He could have beaten her at that time, although he would have had to employ riskier methods.

That's the annoying thing; the risky plans always came to him before the safe ones, which is why often he takes so long to think. The extra minutes would be spent either modifying the plan to decrease the risks, or scrapping it and starting from scratch. At the time, though, he simply didn't have the time or energy to spend. Anyway, winning is only important to him if the prize was worth it. Although he had pride as a man, he didn't have it in him to do anything more than defend it when it was at risk.

"If you ask me," she went on, taking advantage of the opening, "someone who can't take little things seriously won't be able to take big things seriously."

"Sometimes, I guess," he conceded, getting dragged back from his little universe. The sun was there again. The clouds had taken a little break from their afternoon audience, exiting behind the curtain of the canopy.

A few moments elapsed. When the clouds had not yet returned, she turned towards him. "You're not much of a fighter, are you?"

"What do you mean?" he muttered, keeping his eyes up. _Is she trying to provoke me?_

"I just put you down for something that you did, yet you didn't even try to justify it. You just sat there and took it. For all your talk about pride as a man, you're pretty cowardly." It wasn't even packaged as an insult. The tone of her voice, her manner as she said it... she meant it to look as if it was a statement of fact, the sort of thing that you don't even think twice about.

She meant it to be worse than an insult.

_She's trying to provoke me, all right. Looks like this really _is _her language._ "I don't have to justify myself every time someone challenges me," he said, just as matter-of-factly. "If I did, I'd be pretty damn tired. I just don't see the point of getting into a fight that doesn't have to be fought. Only small-minded people with energy to waste think like that." _Naruto and Sasuke, for example. Damn, I can't think about those two now..._

"So now you're calling me a small-minded person?" she demanded. "For someone who says he knows how to pick his battles, you're doing a pretty good job picking a fight with me!"

"I didn't mean you!" he said, a little more irritably than he intended. _Shit, she's getting to me. It's so hard to be careful with this girl._ "Look, all I meant was that I don't want to spend time fighting when I don't have to."

She smirked victoriously. "Because you might lose? That's your problem, right?"

He was getting frustrated. _The clouds are coming back now. Good timing. I need to think._

"You know what I think?"

"I'm sure the fact that I didn't ask is a mere detail." He stared hard at them, trying to see things that weren't there.

"I think that you only defend your pride when you know you can, or when you don't have a choice. I think that you only defend your pride and honor against people you know you can win against. I think you don't have it in you to fight a losing battle."

_That one looks kind of like a sea turtle..._

"In fact," she went on, "I think you've only ever fought with people that you knew for certain you could beat, because you don't have the guts to face someone who might be stronger than you are. Because deep down, you know that when you're beaten, you won't be able to take it."

_...and that one looks like a cat, if you squinted and imagined that the cat had some sort of congenital dysmorphic disease._

"That's one thing that blonde-haired kid got right, though," she went on, moving on sheer momentum. "You don't stop fighting even if you know you'll go down. All that matters is that you get back up, and keep at it." She shifted, finally looking back up at the sky. "I like that kid, actually. In that respect, he's got you beat."

Shikamaru's face remained impassive, but inside he stirred. She was clearly baiting him again. But he knew it would be wrong for him to let that one slide.

"You've got me all wrong. I've just never seen the point of playing a game I don't want to. If Naruto challenged me to a brawl right now, I'd say no. It's not because he's better than me--and he is, when it comes to that sort of thing. It's because I'm not a fighter. But that doesn't mean I'm a coward. I know what I am, I know what I'm good at, and I know what I want to do. And one thing I don't want to do is equate guttural, raw, gut-wrenching combat with being a man. Sure, as a ninja I'll have to fight, but it's not going to be a way of life for me."

She seemed to reflect on this. He hadn't meant to say so much. Normally, he was very guarded, and revealed nothing to his opponents. But _this_ time...

...he needed to risk it.

"Besides, I've never found an interesting opponent before. I've matched wits with a lot of guys. Not to brag, but I was pretty much able to see through all of them. They're mostly good people though, so I played along with them. It's all right, and it's better than being alone with your own thoughts. Lots of people grow up weird that way.

"But I've always been envious of them. They each have this one thing that they don't have, but believe in so desperately that they fight for it. And when people try to take that dream away from them, they fight even harder. I've never found anything that I wanted so badly. I've never found anyone who's really challenged me." He sighed.

"I think I see what you mean," she replied, after a pause that was just one second away from being pregnant. "And I sympathize, I guess. You're surprisingly honest. Not a lot of people have been this candid with me before."

He smirked. "Well, you were mouthing off a lot about me. There's only so much I can take. Besides, it takes a lot more than barbed remarks about my honor and pride to put me off."

"I can see that. But don't think I'll make it any easier on you, just because of that."

He shifted slightly. _So it's a game to her, too. _

If he had said that last thought out loud, it would have been with a hint of satisfaction. He wasn't alone after all. It was a game, with two players... and one winner. The game was played, he realized, by saying things while leaving them unsaid, and seeing things that were meant to be seen only by those who knew how to look. And it has to work both ways. That's the only way you learn.

_It's no use if you don't know what to watch out for..._

It would a troublesome game, he knew. The entire world was the game board, and it wasn't about capturing territory or crossing lines or taking prisoners. This game forced you to look at your opponent. At the same time, it forced you to step outside yourself and look at what you're doing. On top of that, you had to make sure that the game was interesting enough to keep her playing.

The object of the game is to keep the game going.

Troublesome.

But interesting.

He sat up and shook out his arms, loosening the pins and needles that had been accumulating for some time. _Now I definitely can't back down_. He looked at the clouds, tracking their movements carefully.

"All right. But just so you know..."

"What?" she said, perhaps playfully.

He smiled, and flashed a sidelong glance at her. The clouds took their cue to step aside, and let just enough sunlight slide through. "I'm not going to give up so easily, just because you think you'll win."

Anyone who was watching--even those who knew Shikamaru very well, and had already resigned themselves to the fact that certain words couldn't be associated with him--would have been forced to admit that that was Shikamaru's coolest moment yet.

She looked at him, and saw what he had done. There was a brief moment of admiration; she caught herself in time. "Glad to hear it," she said. The sun then took its cue, and brightened just a little. She seemed to glow, somehow.

And in _that _instant, anyone who was watching--even those who knew Temari very well, and had already resigned themselves to the fact that certain words couldn't be associated with her--would have been forced to admit that she looked happy.

They watched each other for a little while, perhaps trying to read each other simultaneously, perhaps seeing things that weren't there. As the forest started to acquire an orange afterglow, Shikamaru realized that his cue had come.

"Now," he declared, "I think it's time I walked you home. I wouldn't be a man if I didn't."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Notes: This occurs during the last filler arc of Part I of the Naruto anime; a time skip, as per some people's request. Some people have also asked for a kissing situation between him and Temari, but I've decided to leave that for later. Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.

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Third Move

It was a great battle. Like before, an innocent person had been taken away by strong opponents, and they had pursued them through the forest. Like before, the kidnappers and the would-be rescuers faced off, and the heroes were nearly overpowered, were it not for some last-minute reinforcements.

What went around, came around. And this time, the day was theirs.

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He was Shikaku, Nara Shikamaru's father. Like the newly-inducted Chunnin, He suffered from laziness and lack of ambition. However, he was a responsible father, and prided himself in being able to give manly advice to his son, whether or not it was needed or wanted. Perhaps he knew what potential the boy had; perhaps he wished for his son to be a better man than he was. Whatever it was that motivated him, it led him to occasionally take an interest in Shikamaru. It was during these times that he would make insightful observations about him, such as:

"You're up pretty early."

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes, dislodging the crust. "Yeah. Morning, pops." He walked on past the kitchen and into the bathroom, where he did his morning routine. He took a bath, dressed up, brushed his teeth. When he came back, his father was reading a newspaper.

"Says here that some members of the Sand Village are coming over today. Something about talking with some of our senior teaching staff regarding our curriculum."

"Yeah, they recently put up their own ninja training program in their village. They pretty much had to, since their manpower was depleted."

"Why would they come to us for help, though? What's that got to do with us?"

"Don't you remember, dad?"

He looked at his father who, by way of an apologetic rubbing of the back of the head, indicated that he didn't. "We're allies with them, dad. In fact, we helped them out a couple of months back. Gaara's student was abducted, and he was nearly used as an ultimate weapon that would have brought war to all of the hidden villages. I was on that mission."

"Ah. Right. Sounded like you were on an important job, then."

"Yeah, I was."

"Right..."

On a normal day, that would've been it. The last word would hang in the air, until one of them had to go excuse himself. Today, though, Shikamaru's father was interested, and searched for a conversational foothold.

"The Sand Village... didn't they attack us before that?"

"They were tricked into it that time. We've had no hard feelings about that, and they even helped us when we tried to get Sasuke back from Orochimaru. We've been allies for some time, now. Don't you remember?"

"Ah right, I knew that..."

"Sure you did, pops."

"In fact, I remember the day after that, you asked that girl to watch clouds with you. Temari, right? She was rather cute, I thought. You were out with her the whole afternoon."

He cringed inwardly. His father had an oddly selective memory, choosing to remember the irrelevant details that happened to surround important events. "Don't remember much. It was pretty long ago."

Shikamaru's father looked at him for a while, then went over to his side and sat down. "Now, don't be like that. I think it's great. You were standing slightly straighter than usual when you came home. So you got to see her again that time, huh?"

"Yeah, they needed help. It wasn't like I saved her, especially. Ino was with me at the time."

"Wait. You mean you rescued her from danger?" His dad was getting slightly more interested. This was familiar territory for him. He couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to bond with his son.

"Sort of. Ino was there, like I said."

"So you did save her."

"Technically. You could say that."

"This is much better than I thought! You've become a knight in shining armor, my son! I remember when I was your age, I'd dream about rescuing a damsel in distress from an evil villain."

"She's not exactly a damsel, dad. She's pretty violent."

"Even better. You don't really want damsels," his dad replied excitedly, hardly skipping a beat. "It's good at first, but what you really need, Shikamaru, is someone who can take care of herself. That way, you know that she can take care of you when you need it. And the good ones, the ones you should really go for, won't just throw herself at you. She'll make you work for a while. You'll have to listen to her until you can't anymore, and then you'll have to pretend you still can. You'll have to work to get her guard down, to make her open up. And let me tell you, Shikamaru, that there's no victory sweeter than the payoff after all that. And that's the kind of victory a man should aspire for!"

And it went on. Shikamaru watched his father, his mouth agape. He always knew that his father was old-fashioned and romantic, but this... he had to tune out. After a while, his father stopped, and he spoke up.

"It's not like that, pops. There you go again, seeing things that aren't there. It was just a mission. Nothing more. We had to help, and so we did. That's what it was."

His father heaved his patented sigh of despair. "That's your problem, you know. You're too unromantic! You may be good at strategies, but you refuse to leave room for things to mean more than they do! If you don't think like that once in a while, then you'll grow old and lonely, until you're dead!"

"Hey, cut me some slack. I'm just a kid."

"And what better way to spend your youth than to learn about the ways of men and women!" His father shouted triumphantly as he walked out of the room. He half-expected him to come back wearing a pair of horrid green tights and sporting an unfashionable bowl cut--that's how fanatical he sounded.

Shikamaru constantly lamented that his father, while having no ambition of his own, always had lessons to teach his son. At the same time, he always seemed to be out with his drinking buddies, only taking enough time to give his son the occasional man-to-man talk, while never really showing an interest in his son's real-world affairs. He was vaguely happy that his dad was interested in him today, though he wished that his interest was less... concentrated.

"Here you go," his father said as he reentered. It was a scroll, a very thin and small one. "Bring this to Ino's flower shop. Her dad owes me a favor, and gave this to me as payment. Ino will help you out." His dad and Ino's dad were close friends, he knew, and like allied countries, they had many agreements that maintained good relations for them and their families. The nature of the agreements and the relations they maintained, though, were largely a mystery to Shikamaru.

"With what?"

"My son, one thing you have to learn about women is that no matter how tough they are, they'll like a man who makes a decisive first move."

"Huh?" Shikamaru felt like a student who, coming to school late one day, had discovered that he had been inadvertently dragged into a practical exam for Junnins and, having been unnoticed for half an hour, felt too embarrassed to admit that he didn't belong there.

"I know it's not your style," his father went on, "but in this case, overthinking things can be bad. the chance might slip away. And if you do make the first move, but do so halfheartedly, then you'll fall flat on your butt. A decisive first move! That's what a man should aim for!"

Clearly, his father won't let go of this easily. It never fails. Once he decides something's good for him, he won't even bother asking you what you thought. Still, maybe he was right this time. When it comes to this, his father was much more qualified than he was to develop a plan of attack. In fact, the same could be said for alcohol, gambling, and other troublesome things.

"Whatever you say, pops. I'll go over there now, then. I know Ino's there in the early mornings, and I don't want anyone else to know about this. It's embarrassing."

"That's the spirit!" said Shikamaru's father, who chose to ignore the last statement. He was very happy for his son. He had been rather worried about him, afraid that he would grow up weird, what with all his man-and-woman talk. Maybe it's time he went through this. After all, he always felt that first-hand experience is better than simply talking about theory.

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Ino Yamanaka was surprised that Shikamaru went into the flower shop early that morning. During their training missions, he would often wonder what the sense was in women giving flowers meaning, and had no qualms about saying so very loudly. He would also complain about how early he was forced to get up. The fact that he was here now contradicated both of these previous positions.

"Good morning, Shikamaru!" She said, putting on her best smile. Working in a flower shop had gotten her used to smiling for customers, but her first was always her best.

"That's a matter of opinion," he replied curtly.

"Well it won't be if you think like that. My dad always said that it's a good idea to greet customers like that to cheer them up in the mornings."

"Yeah, dads always have good ideas, don't they..."

"What're you doing here anyway? It's pretty early, and you don't seem to be going around town looking for good cloud-watching spots."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Beats me. My dad sent me here with this." He handed her a small scroll. "I didn't open it, so I don't know what it says. He said for me to bring it to you, and you'd know what to do with it."

Ino took the message from Shikamaru. She knew it was from her father; this was his favorite type of scroll, and he was the only person she knew with such little handwriting.

_Ino, a__s you know, Shikamaru is passionate about being a man, and has a keen interest in the ways of men and women. One of the main things about being a man is knowing how to court a woman. Recently, he has found an interest in this matter, and has come to you today for assistance. You are a woman now, and you are his friend. Therefore, you are in the best position to teach him about the ways of women. Please instruct him in this regard. I know it will be hard for you, but I'm even more certain that you can do it._

Weird, she thought. Why would my father be so interested in this? I know he and Shikamaru's father are members of the original Ino-Shika-Chou combo, but that doesn't explain it at all. And the scroll looked worn and yellowed, like it had been stored for some time. Her father had been expecting this... whatever this was.

"So what does it say?"

"It says," she replied, slowly, "that I have to help you learn the ways of men and women."

"What? Let me see that!" He took the scroll from her, read it, and muttered to himself. "Pops..."

"What's this about?"

"My dad has this habit of deciding things for me. He acts like he's figured out exactly what a man should and shouldn't be, and tells me what would be a good idea and what wouldn't. When he gets a good idea, he makes sure I follow through on it." But I never figured he'd get other people involved in his crazy, let's-teach-Shikamaru-how-to-be-a-man program. What the hell was he thinking?

"Says here you're in love," she said, smiling conspiratorially.

And she's having fun with this. "It doesn't say that at all."

"It's not exactly in code, Shikamaru. Look, who is it? I'm supposed to help you out, so I've got to know."

"You've got to know because you want to know, and you're supposed to help me because that's what my dad decided the day he and your dad became friends! It's probably some sort of sick bet they have, or some unholy pact! I don't know! But they're both crazy If they think we'll just go along with this!"

He waited for her reply. She seemed to be thinking this over... "Right?"

She reached a conclusion. "I'm going to help you."

"What?"

"You want to get this girl, and you have no idea how to talk to girls--at least you say as much whenever you complain about how irrational we are. I'm a girl, and I'm your friend, so I'm going to help you. That's what we're supposed to do for each other."

Shikamaru couldn't believe it. She was really going along with this.

"Besides, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about this mystery lady. I'd never known you to be motivated about anything. Everything's too much trouble for you, you don't see the point or the payoff. You've never wanted anything--this is the closest I've ever seen you to it. She must be pretty special." She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Come on! Who is she?"

"I can't tell you who she is," he retorted, shaking himself loose. "I wanted to keep a lid on it for as long as possible, until I was sure about what I felt. I'm pretty sure she's given me signals a few times before, but it's not definite. Since there's nothing I can say for certain, I wanted to keep it secret. But my dad..." If there's a secret society somewhere that handed out medals for meddling, his dad would be president.

"Oh, I see. Very mysterious," Ino nodded approvingly. "Very romantic. You've got a good thing going, Shikamaru. But you know, if I were you, I wouldn't just sit around waiting for someone to cave. You're not sure about your feelings, but who knows? Maybe you're unsure because you think she's unsure. Or maybe you are sure, but you're not sure how she'd react, or how you'd react to her reaction. Or maybe..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Point is, love is troublesome." He gave up. She's as excited about this as dad is. Who knows why? But I obviously couldn't convince her not to be. Besides, I do need her help, and if I set a precedent for being an I-don't-need-your-help type now, she might not be inclined to help in the future.

"It's only troublesome when you have to hide it, which is why you have to let it out. And I'm going to show you how. Wait right here."

She went into the back room, and came out with a single blue rose.

"Roses represent love, and the blue ones represent mystery. These are very rare, even if you use ninjutsu to make copies or grow new ones, so I can only spare one. But because we're friends, and I'm such a nice girl, I'll give it to you for free."

Shikamaru wasn't sure what to say. "So you think this is the best choice."

"Absolutely! In my opinion, it's unseemly for a man to wait around and not make the first move. And it has to be a definite, clear expression of intention. Only cowards go into it halfheartedly, and girls hate cowards."

"You think so, too, huh?" That's the second time I've heard that today, Shikamaru said to himself. Maybe my old man knew what he was talking about after all...

"Okay, if you say so. Thanks for the advice. Even though I didn't ask for it, it still turned out to be helpful."

She laughed. "Don't even mention it! One thing, though... if you could find some way to replace that blue rose, I'd appreciate it. I shouldn't even be handing that one out yet. We usually wait for summer to sell those, you see."

"All right. Thanks again! I owe you one," Shikamaru said as he walked out.

"Good luck!" she yelled after him. Ino sighed. It was so romantic. Even Shikamaru wanted love, after all. Still, the girl must be really special to make him act like that. I bet it would feel nice to be that special girl...

She shook her head. It's dangerous to work in a flower shop. You learned to put meaning into things, and you had a lot of time on your hands. All sorts of ridiculous ideas could get into you that way.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

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**Fourth Move**

_Why do I have to be the one to come here again?_

Temari asked herself the question as she walked towards the gates of Konoha. They had been in sight for about five minutes now, but didn't seem to be getting much closer. _An illusion_, she realized. It was a pretty elementary and non-threatening security measure, which surprised her. She hadn't been expecting any security at all, actually. They knew she was coming. They probably thought it would be best to turn security down, but not compromise it completely.

_Ah, so it was this way all along... _She picked up her pack, which had all of her clothes and food, and set down towards the newly-discovered right path.

She understood why Gaara wasn't the best choice. This required a certain degree of diplomacy, and he had enough trouble relating to normal people: he was a terrible monster on the battlefield, but he'd probably be just terrible when it came to establishing good relations with other villages. As for Kankurou, he looked untrustworthy. The fact that he actually_ was_ untrustworthy--which is true for all puppetmasters, who tended to think like manipulative creeps--reinforced the point. In the end, they had decided that Temari had both the right skills and the right image to be the official liaison between both villages.

So she agreed, and now found herself in Konoha on her way to meet Tsunade, the new Hokage. A very strong woman, she had been pleasantly surprised to hear. The previous Hokage, the Third, was a benevolent ruler, and wasn't bad, but having a woman as the new ruler put Konoha up a few hundred points in her book. And since women weren't generally considered when it came to choosing leaders, this either meant that there were no qualified men in the village--which she found very hard to believe, knowing how many strong clans there were in Konoha--or that she was a very formidable force. It would be interesting to meet her face-to-face.

As she walked towards the Hokage's abode, she watched the scenery idly. Busy streets, she observed, filled with playful children and good-natured citizens. There was color and movement everywhere, enough to throw particularly sensitive children into pleasantly epileptic fits. Hustle and bustle exploded in her eyes and ears; even the puddles sparkled. Somehow, Konoha was able to rebuild itself well after the incident. It shows you how strong and great this place was, and how great its people were.

Not that she hated her homeland. No, the people from Sunna were just as good as the people here, but the desert has a way of grating and wearing down one's soul. They were so defeated, so beaten, and it broke her heart. She knew that their village deserved better, and she knew that her cohorts felt the same way.

_Strength. That's what we need._ The previous kazekage had known that, but had gone about it foolishly. Pinning all of the village's hopes on a few elite ninja was not a good course of action. What they needed was to become a village full of strength. Everyone needed to be involved.

There were many able-bodied men and women who, if given the chance, were willing to better their station in life, and they knew that being farmers or fishermen or tradesmen was pretty much impossible in the desert. They had learned to survive in the harsh, arid landscape. Years of struggle against the elements had taught them well. But survival wasn't enough for them, not anymore. What they wanted was to live. And to live, they needed a livelihood.

They needed to be warriors.

Hence, the training program. So far, it was receiving favorable response. There was huge demand for it. Many men and women were volunteering, although--to Temari's satisfaction--women seemed to be learning more quickly than men. And the men, predictably, took this as a blow to their pride, and redoubled their efforts at training. The women, being raised to be both strong and caring, taught and encouraged their male teammates. There were requests for training manuals, and there were plans for developing artificial training grounds to simulate other environments that one might find himself in during a mission. All this rivalry, cooperation, and enthusiasm had infused the villagers with a new spirit, and they shared it openly amongst themselves.

Because the program wasn't fully developed yet, though, they had to rely on other villages with more advanced educational resources than they did. And from all the villages they contacted, only Konoha was willing to listen. They were hoping to send some of their more promising students over to train under more qualified instructors, as well as take advantage of more developed training grounds and curriculum. They had nothing to offer in exchange, but Temari had a few ideas.

They had been very lucky to become allies with Konoha. Competition was a natural state of affairs between villages, and they had also attacked Konoha before--the previous Kazekage was a power-mad fool, and his subordinates were powerless to resist his will. Still, Tsunade decided to forgive them, but not to the extent that she forgot what they did. Konoha, therefore, extended a helping hand towards them, albeit very tentatively.

"And that's why I'm here, Lady Tsunade," Temari concluded, standing in front of the formidable Tsunade. "I realize that our past actions would cause you to regard us with some distrust, but we have no ulterior motives. We have nowhere else to turn. Please, my village is depending on me."

From behind her desk, the Fifth regarded her with interest. Perhaps it was the interest strong women manifested when seeing another of their kind. At least, Temari hoped so. She wasn't prone to being starstruck or dumbfounded, but the aura around her was just so... powerful. She didn't even have to speak to command respect. _Is she like this all the time?_

She picked up a newspaper theatrically, and waved it at Temari. Encircled on the front page was an article about the meeting between the two villages. "To my understanding, you had already arranged to meet the teachers in our school today."

"A simple error, my lady. Our officials were under great pressure to make these arrangements quickly, so they immediately contacted some of the instructors in your village. They only realized what they did afterwards. They send their deepest apologies."

"So it has nothing to do with my being a woman."

"None whatsoever." She didn't know this for certain, but they needed to make a good impression. The Kazekage had died, but more fools remained ruling the Village of Sand. These, though, were well-meaning and honest, if a little careless, so she was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. She just prayed that they would be a little more aware of their actions in the future.

The Hokage looked at her directly, trying to read the girl's face. Temari remained impassive, and knew that her face betrayed nothing, but under the narrow-eyed stare she still felt naked, as if she was newly born. It was all she could do to maintain eye contact.

"I admire your forthrightness," Tsunade said eventually. She turned around and walked towards the window. "And I understand your feelings. Today, you carry the hopes of hundreds of your countrymen with you, and you have carried that burden for many miles. I feel that weight every day. Because of the greatness of this city, and the people in it, I chose to bear it."

Through the huge panel, she gazed upon the city. Her city. _Remarkable_, Temari thought. _For all of her power, she still thought like a mother._

"The previous Kazekage was a foolish, narrow-minded man, and was more fit to be the village oaf. You shouldn't have to pay so dearly for his mistakes." She turned around, and looked Temari in the eye. "You have my blessing. Even though you were a little late in asking for it, I understand that there are mitigating circumstances at work. Besides, we are on friendly terms, and we of Konoha are friends indeed."

Temari was relieved. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade relaxed as well. The hard part was over. "However, you must consider this as a debt to our village. Considering what you guys did to us before, I think it's only fair."

"I understand completely. We're already thinking of ways to pay you back, although we don't have much to offer yet. We were thinking of granting Konoha ninjas exclusive access to our territory for intensive survival training exercises."

"That's a start. Certainly not enough... for now, let's just say that you owe us a big one."

"Yes."

"You can stay for as long as you like in our village. I think it would be a good idea if you postpone the meeting with our teachers, and take a few days to see what educational opportunities Konoha has to offer. That way, you'll be in a better position to negotiate. I'll just notify the instructors." Temari was surprised. Tsunade must really trust her, to dispense such advice so freely and easily. The Fifth reached into her desk drawer, and pulled out a piece of paper. She took a pen, and began writing. The fan-ninja heard the weight of authority insinuate itself through the strokes.

Finally, the document was stamped. "Show this message to any inn in the city. You're free to stay anywhere you like, free of charge, for as long as it takes for the arrangement to be finalized. Until then, feel free to take in the sights. I'm sure you'll find our city to be a bit noisier than you're used to, though."

"It's all right," Temari said hurriedly, surprised at the sudden show of hospitality. "I like it. There's so much excitement."

"I think so too. Now, I have other things to take care of, so don't let me keep you. The instructors will keep me posted. I hope things go well."

"Thank you very much," Temari replied, letting herself out. She stepped out into the street, into the noise and hurly-burly and excitement that was the Morning in Konoha. It went very well, all things considered, and she was very happy. The Hokage even seemed to like her. _Perhaps I really am most suited for this job._

She ambled on, looking for an appropriate place to spend her stay in Konoha. _There's so much energy here._ Even when she got past the busy market districts and the noisy kids, there was just something about the city that exuded an aura of enthusiasm. She had to smile. It wasn't a lazy town at all.

_Lazy..._

_Oh yes. Him._

She wondered how he was. It had been a few months since they last saw each other. He had come to the rescue, helping her defeat a rather strong wind-user. Not that she needed rescuing, certainly not, but he had come anyway. He seemed to enjoy fighting against women, or at least seemed to be fighting one each time they met. _What was it that he found so distasteful about women, anyway?_

_And why do I care?_ He was just another unmotivated, cowardly kid. No matter how he rationalized it, he was gutless and spineless. Somehow, though, he had beaten her. And rescued her. The fact that Kankurou had teased her about it made the sting worse.

Although, she had to admit, this kid was smart. And not just as a strategist. He knew about human nature, and he knew how to read other people very well. She figured out as much when he had asked her to join him, that afternoon. The way he spoke of his comrades, the way he acted. And the way he had looked at her, as if he was able to read her like a book.

She had tried her best to throw him off, to intimidate him. He was a coward. He spoke like a man, and occasionally acted like one, but there was something lacking in him. He didn't seem to care much about anything--at least, not unless he was on a mission. But somehow he had gotten through to her, that day, and for one moment, she saw him as a man.

And that memory stayed with her until that day a few months ago. Sure, she hadn't needed his help, but she had been inwardly pleased at his arrival, but was slightly disappointed that he wasn't alone...

_We weren't alone... unlike before..._

She raged at herself. _What the hell? _This wasn't the time. She was here on duty. Why these thoughts even crept into her head anymore mystified her: it had occurred months ago, and nothing had happened since.

She found an inn, after a while. It had been the same one they stayed in the last time. _What the hell_, she said. It had been a long enough day, and she decided that this was a good a place to stay as any. Like Tsunade said, she shouldn't concern herself with the past, especially if it involved a fool's actions.

--------------------------

Shikamaru paced down the street, clutching Ino's blue rose in his hand. He looked at it intently, studying it from several angles. How do you replace a blue rose? He saw why it was in such demand. He wasn't used to thinking of things as beautiful or interesting, but he couldn't help himself. For Ino's shop to have it in stock... they were really professional, he decided.

_All the more reason to trust her advice._

Perhaps having women as friends was useful, after all. Even though they were difficult to understand sometimes, they were the best people to ask for this sort of thing. Who knew that the blue rose represented mystery? He hadn't, and he was pretty certain no man would be interested. It was only women who knew what flowers meant, and that was the key. _Speak to your opponent on their terms, and they'll be more willing to listen._

He then thought about his father, and considered thanking him for this unexpected benefit. But no, he really shouldn't. His father was just trying to prescribe what was good for him. The fact that his meddling turned out to be helpful was irrelevant. When all was said and done, the motive wasn't really benevolent, and that's what he chose to focus on.

_Besides, Ino was bad enough when she saw me as an unmotivated slacker without a care in the world. Now that she knows this about me, she's probably going to bug me more than ever. She'll ask about who the mystery lady is, and how she liked the rose, and so on. It's never going to end. _

Shikamaru shivered as he suddenly saw, in his mind, Ino asking how his performance during the honeymoon was. _All thanks to that note. _He shivered again as visions of the honeymoon flashed in his subconscious, which nearly shut down in reaction to the sudden transition from thoughts of clouds and shogi. He cursed his active imagination, and rued the day that he had walked in on Naruto and the rest of the guys huddled around that magazine... now that he thought about it, Temari looked a little bit like that woman, only she had a little more...

_Clothing? _he managed. That was only one of the words that applied. The other ones were more... _anatomical_. She was older than he was by three years. Looking at Ino, and then looking at Temari, gave Shikamaru some perspective on just how much time can add to a person. Time, he decided, was good for girls...

He dribbled slightly, but wiped his mouth immediately. He looked around warily. _Gods, I hope no one saw that._

"Mommy, did you see that?"

"Don't look at him, Shukaku!"

"Hey, big brother! Do you need a bib?" the kid yelled cheerfully. Shikamaru ran off, still feeling the boy's eyes bore through his head, staring in wide-eyed fascination. _Damn it_.

He hadn't thought about it for months. _Really owe you one, dad._ He knew that his father wasn't psychic, but he knew that his father will from now on keep asking about this girl, giving him knowing looks, and dispensing fatherly advice to his uninitiated son. And he'll want to hear every detail so that he can laugh at every mistake he makes. It was his father's sick way of bonding, teaching him how much he still had to learn, and it wasn't unusual for his buddies to be part of it. He and Ino's dad were probably going to laugh about this until they die.

It was sad, really, watching them concoct more and more outlandish ways of occupying themselves while apparently avoiding their actual occupations. Arguing over records, making bets, drinking sake, making bets about drinking sake, the ever-popular who-would-win-in-a-fight discussions, ranking women on a one-to-ten scale, telling patently ridiculous stories about their exploits during this war or that battle, reminiscing about their days in the academy and drunkenly dredging up stories about "this old fossil, what a terror he was!" or "that dead guy, whatever happened to him?"... it went on and on. This was probably just another form of amusement for them. One thing could be said about men and humor, Shikamaru hypothesized: it was funniest when it was at someone's expense, preferably someone else's.

Still, he was here now. He had the rose. He had Ino's advice, which told him that it would be a good idea to give her the rose. He also knew from his dad that a representative from the Sand Village was coming today. Given Kankurou and Gaara's personalities, they wouldn't be sent here on a matter that required diplomacy. _So she's here today_, he concluded.

It was already noon; the heat had driven the children from the streets and back into their houses for their midday meals. By this time, she had probably already arrived and spoken to Tsunade. Assuming she had gone off to talk to the instructors already, he couldn't interrupt.

_How long is she staying for, anyway?_ He stopped and sat down at a conveniently placed bench, still handling the rose with care. Usually, diplomatic matters take a while to iron out. Even if this particular matter concerned educational materials, he was up-to-date enough to know that this was an important issue for the Village of Sand. They would take it very seriously. It would take a week, at least.

_Where would she be staying?_ He tried to remember all the inns that he knew of. _The one they had last stayed at_? He certainly couldn't ask Tsunade, since she probably wouldn't know anyway, and it would be too trivial a concern to bother her with. In fact, there's no one in the whole town that would possibly know where she was at this moment, or would be particularly interested in knowing.

There was nothing for it. He would have to rely on his gut for this one, and it told him that she would go to a familiar place rather than go to the trouble of looking for a new one. The upshot was that, if she actually went to the same hotel, then she probably wouldn't have set up traps this time. Hopefully, the relationship between Konoha and the Village of Sand had already developed to the point that she trusts us not to attack her. Anyway, ther's no real reason for her to think that her life would be at risk. The worst he would encounter is some sort of early-warning system...

He didn't have to worry about that now, though. His plan today was totally different from the last one. For one thing, he was going to be more aggressive and direct. He was going to meet her on her terms this time, so there wouldn't be any need to sneak around and convince her to meet him at a certain place. He'll just go up to her room, and announce his intention straightforwardly.

_Will that work? _It certainly went against the rules of the game he thought he was playing. Say things without saying them. Show things in a way that only those who were looking for the signs would recognize. Keep the game going. He was now violating all three principles at once.

But the game had changed since his father had stepped in. Now he had two love-crazy groupies cheering him on. What had originally been a peaceful, straightforward game of shogi had turned into a spectator sport. The fact that there was an audience of only two people looking on made it doubly embarrassing.

_What the hell,_ he thought. His old man told him to do it, and he knew that he would. Ino had given him the flower as a show of support, which he probably shouldn't just ignore. He had no illusions about people counting on him to win Temari--_yes, that's what I'll do_--but he knew that there was no doubling back now. Thanks to his father and Ino, he had a plan. Once you had a plan, you followed through and let the cards fall where they may.

He got up and started on his way to the inn._ It's not my plan, though_, he reflected._ That might be troublesome._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Naruto universe isn't mine. These events aren't part of actual Naruto continuity, although I like to think that it could fit in. basically, I'm just playing around with it. hehehe

Notes: To darkgal69, Delrious, LishaVilla, PersiaHeime, and the rest, thanks for the reviews! I hope everyone who reads this likes it, and welcome all comments and suggestions on improving the work.

-------------

**Fifth Move**

Shikaku Nara sat pensively, hunched over the table, crossing and uncrossing his legs. It was midday; he had finished his morning errands with the deer a little hastily just to be there. He was currently waiting for Inoichi, his friend and father to his son's girl friend. He had sent a message immediately after his conversation with Shikamaru, telling him the good news, and had told him to come. _Typical of the guy, deciding to come late. _

He swirled his noontime saki reflectively. His second noontime drink, to be exact. He hadn't decided exactly in what spirit he was drinking today; he was leaning towards fatherly pride. All he knew for sure was that today warranted celebration, and that meant a visit to his favorite tavern.

He shook his head. Shikamaru was only thirteen. So was Ino. They grew up too quickly these days, but that couldn't be helped. The time had come, and he was ready. Far be it for a member of the Nara clan to be caught with his pants down, just because his cue had come at least two years too early.

"Hey Shikaku!"

Shikaku turned around to see Choza Akimichi, the third member of the original Ino-Shika-Cho combo. He waved him over. "Oh. Hello, Choza." Well, looks like all three of them would be here for the big news. He moved aside, allowing his rather stout friend of more than thirty years to sit down beside him in the booth. He motioned to the waiter, asking for another order of saki; Choza hadn't asked, but didn't need to. The big man nodded appreciatively.

"A little early for you to be here, don't you think?"

"I'd say the same thing to you. Actually, I'm waiting for Inoichi. Sent him a message this morning, told him to come. Big news."

"Anything I should know about?"

He pursed his lips. "I don't know. It's kind of between me and Inoichi."

Choza grunted. "Since when did you two start keeping secrets from me, huh?"

Shikaku looked sidelong at his companion and slapped him good-naturedly in the back. "I'm just kidding! Come on, you big lug, since when have you ever needed to ask?" The saki arrived, which Chouji slurped dejectedly.

"You always were too sensitive, you know? Could never take a joke. Just grow up already!"

Chouji set down his saucer. "You talk to me about growing up? You guys take things too far. It's like being with a couple of kids, hanging around the two of you."

"So why don't you find other buddies, huh?"

Chou leaned back in his chair, which is quite hard for a man with such girth. "Tch. You know how it is. The Hyuugas are stuck up, the Kibas are too violent and weird... it's just my luck, you're the only fun guys in town."

"Well, you're not exactly a prize yourself."

"You should know, lazy-man."

You know that two men are lifelong friends if they throw insults blatantly at each other, without making eye contact, and then look at each other with a knowing smile and a hearty chuckle. Had the third member of the Ino-Shika-Cho combo been present, the exchange would have gone on for much longer, and they would have answered one another more quickly and hotly. It would've concluded the same way, though, with roaring laughter booming throughout the bar, and more quaffing of saki. But he wasn't here, and it was still daytime; the sunlight that managed to squeak through the slats the covered the windows demanded a certain amount of decorum.

"But seriously, what were you two old men going to talk about behind my back?"

"Feh," Shikaku scoffed. "What the hell. I was going to tell you anyway." And he told him.

"You sure about this? Shikamaru? Really?"

"Positive. I've given him some advice already. He should've spoken to Ino by now. Now he should be deciding what to do. But he'll do the right thing. I've taught him well enough."

Choza nodded absently. Shikamaru was always a quick learner, as he knew from stories relayed to him by his own son, who learned a lot of useful, and occasionally troublesome, ideas from the boy. He worried about this unusual amount of intelligence--especially since it came into contact with his bighearted but especially impressionable son--and knew that it would soon be channeled and transformed into that more troublesome form of intelligence, which was curiosity. Obviously, the boy's innate laziness and lack of ambition had not been enough to delay this transformation.

He also knew that some of the boys in the school had managed, somehow, to secure copies of literature from their father's forbidden collections--most of which had been thrown away at their wives' behest, of course. Fathers always thought that they had taken every precaution, employing every jutsu and strategy that they knew, but he had attended enough parent-teacher conferences to know that the young ones, who were of an unusually gifted generation, always seemed to outsmart them. They never really knew what it was they had found, of course, and had reacted with nothing more than the loud, generalized poking-and-pointing enthusiasm that was characteristic of young boys. Still, the fathers knew that they would smart up soon enough, and had spent many nights out with their buddies, asking each other rather worriedly about how they should be prepared for the Man-To-Man Talk, which none of them really remembered, to tell the truth. All they remembered was a lot of hemming and hawing and feeling a sense of real solid awkwardness at the time.

There were a few odd ones, though, who would jump into the discussion more enthusiastically and animatedly than others would like. It wasn't that they had bad ideas; it's just that they were so eager and loud about them, rather like the little children who rattle the entire household awake at three in the morning on Christmas day, insisting that the jolly fat man had just come and gone, and had told them that it was all right to open the presents now.

Shikaku was the little child.

When it came to Raising Your Son As A Man, he exuded the kind of raw, lunatic enthusiasm that could only be rivaled by Might Guy, who was perfectly comfortable with wearing embarrassing green tights and playing kid's games with his rival Kakashi, but drew the line at this particular subject matter. Come to think of it, Guy never seemed to be interested in women, or anything outside of challenging and keeping score against Kakashi. There were many kinds of madness in the world, Choza thought, and some of them were powerful enough to drive out thoughts of being a man, wooing women, and how the two fit together.

Anyway, with Shikamaru wanting to court this Temari, Christmas had come for Shikaku. It was good that he wanted to know these things now. He's the right age for it, it's perfectly healthy, no reason why it shouldn't be discussed openly...

His brain raised a flag urgently. "Ino, you say?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. You're not deaf, I didn't stutter. Ino."

"I know, I heard, I just wasn't sure I heard right. What're you up to, sending Shikamaru to her now? This should be between men."

"Yeah, yeah, normally it would be. That's what I wanted to talk to Inoichi about."

"Why?"

"Because..." he said hesitantly, "we kind of had an agreement."

Chou took another sip. "What kind of agreement?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well. You remember that discussion we had a few years back? About how funny it would be if Ino and Shikamaru got together?"

"Yeah, we'd had a few too many that night."

"Well, we'd had a few more after you left. We got to talking about how it would be good if we could actually trust Ino's boyfriend to not be a creep, and how it would be good if we actually liked the family that they'd be marrying into--when the time comes, of course, not that we're in a rush or anything--and how it would be good if we knew what they really thought of each other, and if we could give useful advice based on reliable judgments on the guy or the girl's character, and since Ino and Shikamaru are friends anyway, then it wouldn't be so bad if he learned a thing or two from her, since we don't know everything about women..."

"Oh Gods..." Choza knew where this was going.

"--so we decided," Shikaku concluded. "And here we are. Shikamaru is going to learn from Ino, who I know is a good girl, and would give Shikamaru good advice. That's something I can't give him, a woman's perpective on things. And if they develop feelings for each other, then so much the better." Shikaku grinned proudly. "Pretty good idea, eh?"

"It is, if your objective is to take total control of your son's life."

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad."

"Isn't it? You know how impressionable kids their age are! You're practically throwing them towards each other!"

"No I'm not! I'm just being supportive. He wants to go after that sand girl, and I just thought that Ino could give him advice on women. It's a good opportunity for both of them to learn something from one another."

Choza eyed Shikaku suspiciously. "You think that he'll get her?"

"Not a chance. Three years older than he is, and she lives in another village. Let's be realistic. But it's just good that he's learning early."

"And if he gets rejected, Ino will be there, just ready to catch him."

"That could happen, yes," Shikaku conceded with an undertone of hopefulness.

"Don't you find it weird that you're so involved in this?" Choza insisted.

Shikaku shrugged. "I just want to know that my son is learning early and learning right. You know how it is when your kid's smarter than you are; sometimes I feel like if I give him an inch, he'd stretch it into a mile before I blink. He asks questions that I can't answer, and he's learned to go off and learn things on his own. That sort of thing can lead to trouble later on, and usually it's the dad left holding the bag. The only way is to stay ahead of him, on top of him, whatever it takes, just so long as I'm sure he doesn't do anything stupid without me knowing about it."

Choza nodded again. He understood Shikaku, but... well, he felt like he needed to step in. "Just so you know, I don't think you should expect to control your son all your life. He's just thirteen, I know, but kids grow up quickly and get lives of their own pretty fast. You've got to trust him."

"I'm all for them getting lives of their own," Shikaku replied irritably. "I just want to make sure it'll be a life I approve of. Inoichi will also rest easy, knowing that Shikamaru will be looking out for his little girl in her early ventures into a love life. And with Ino watching over him, there's nothing about his love life I won't know. Besides, I've got to steer him right while I still can. He's my son, and I won't have anyone say that I left him alone."

A resigned sigh. "Well, all right. This is between you and Inoichi, so I can't interfere. I just said what I thought needed saying, just like a friend should."

"Appreciate it, Choza, but we know what we're doing." One more saucer of saki, down the hatch. "Damn that Inoichi. Thinks he's a big shot, just ignores messages like that. Like we haven't been through more than thirty years of life together..."

"Sorry I'm late, guys."

"Speak of the devil..."

"Hey, that saki looks good!" He helped himself to a saucer, and swallowed it in one gulp. "So, Shikaku, big day today!"

"Yeah, I was just telling Choza here about it," Shikaku replied cheerfully.

"That Temari must be a lovely young lady, getting Shikamaru so eager."

Shikaku waved a hand dismissively. "Aah, it'll never work. She's older than he is."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive. Besides, I'm pretty sure she hates him. She doesn't look like the type who'd go for cloudwatchers. And, all due respect to him, he's not exactly a heartbreaker."

"Takes after his father, huh?" Choza chimed in.

Inoichi laughed heartily. "I went by the flower shop this morning, saw Ino staring wistfully out the window. Turns out she'd given him one of our blue roses to give to the sand girl. Never saw her so excited before," he grinned widely. "Does a man good to see his daughter's face like that."

"We wouldn't know, buddy," Choza said, under Shikaku's cold glare. "You're the only one who didn't have the balls to make a son."

A little later, laughter roared throughout the tavern, leaving the sunlight appalled and affronted.

---------------------

Across town, there was a homey little inn for out-of-towners. It was run by a kindly old lady, as these places usually were, who made it a point to make her guests feel at home so that they would come again the next time they were in town. She also made it a point to remember her guests names, faces, and the circumstances of their visits, since knowing about them was all part of making them feel at home. So when she saw Temari again, this time with an official document from the Hokage, she felt particularly satisfied; her hospitality had paid off, and now her establishment was the preferred inn of the Ambassador from Sunna.

"You're very lucky dear," she had said amiably, leading the young woman to the Pleasantly Furnished Off-White Suite--she was very good at remembering names, but wasn't as good at making them up--which was the inn's best asset. Temari had said that No, she couldn't possibly stay here, but the old lady had insisted.

An hour later, Temari was unpacked, settled in, and had changed clothes. She wasn't very particular about where she bathed or slept, but her experience in the Off-White Suite's shower room was more pleasant than she wanted to admit. She was lucky to have been delegated as ambassador, after all. The referral from Tsunade herself was the best currency she'd ever carried.

Now, for lunch. She had been starving for a while now, but had decided that it would be more practical to find a place to stay first. What to eat, where to go...

There was a knock on the door. "Oi," said a familiar, vaguely unmotivated voice.

She breathed in sharply. _What's he doing here?_

"What're you doing here?" she asked, her heart racing. _What the hell am I so scared of?_

_Crap. She doesn't want me here. _"I knew you were in town. Heard about the whole educational exchange thing. So I thought it would be a good time for us to catch up on something. Can I come in?"

_Crap. He wants to come in. _"How'd you know to come here?"

_Why's the heck's she so cagey? _"I just assumed you'd go to the same place you stayed at last time. When I got to the reception area, the old lady remembered me--" he cleared his throat "--the young man who snuck around, avoiding all those exploding seals--" he said, in mock old-lady tones, "and remembered that we were friends. So she sent me up here. Now can I come in? You can't be hiding anything, since there aren't any traps."

_Why's he so insistent?_ "You can come in when I go away, shadow-boy."

_Tch. How troublesome._ "That doesn't make sense! Look, I've got something to show you. Once you've seen it, I'll go away. So just come up to the door, take a peek, and I'll leave."

"All right, fine."

She stepped briskly towards his voice; he listened for her footsteps.

A shadow slipped under the door. _Now._

She was about to peek through the peephole when her body stiffened. _Shit. _"You brat!"

"Mock me all you want, but you're opening the door whether you want to or not." He cursed himself for using such an underhanded trick. _And I'm supposed to be suave and smooth and charming._

She cursed herself for not seeing it coming. _And now he's got me._ Still, she was surprised. He was sneaky, all right, but usually he didn't take the initiative. _And he's come here. He didn't get me to go to his boring cloud-watching grounds, or beat around the bush. What's he up to?_ Her fingers curled around the knob, and opened the door.

He stuck his foot in the doorjamb as soon as he let go. Simultaneously, she grabbed the door and swung hard.

"Ouch," he muttered, rushing in as the door recoiled and flew back. It hit Temari in the face.

"Oi!" He turned around and rushed towards her, catching her just before she hit the floor.

She hadn't been ready for it. She yelped, as red-hot pain blew through her forehead, and stars exploded behind her eyes. Now he was holding her, somewhat awkwardly, cradling her head and carrying her body. Her heart dropped in her chest. _He's so close. And he's touching me._ She surreptitiously kicked the door shut. Gods forbid anyone seeing her like this.

He examined her closely. _No serious injury... wow, so this is how she looks up close. Too bad she's grimacing in pain, though. And she's got a big welt on her forehead. _"That was dangerous, you know. You could've hurt me."

Through the agony, she glared at him. "I could've hurt YOU?"

"Well, you could've. Look, I'll carry you to the bed, all right? Lie down for a while. It's not serious. You won't even see it tomorrow morning."

She grumped and blushed furiously as his left hand slipped into the curve of her waistline, his right hand holding hers, her arm crooked around his nape. He grumbled as he helped her across the room to the queen-sized bed, and negotiated around various pieces of furniture. He breathed heavily with the effort; traces of the scent of newly-shampooed hair and the feel of cool, soft, just-out-of-the-shower skin sent urgent signals to his brain, and he didn't know how to handle it.

Thankfully, they got to the bed soon enough. "There you are, fan-girl." He helped her get onto the bed as carefully as he could, first sitting her down then turning her to lean against the cushioned headboard. Parts of him that he wasn't quite used to yet wished that he could help her like this forever, but she had already recovered and was managing quite well on her own. She muttered a vague "thank you", a phrase that went somewhere between grudging gratefulness and proud embarassment, and kept her eyes away for some reason.

Silence creeped in. He looked at her closely, watching to see if she's fully recovered. She seemed fine. Still, it might not be ideal for him to give her the rose at this point...

_The rose! _He scanned the room nonchalantly, compensating to conceal his rising panic. Without it, he knew, his plan would surely fall short. _Where the heck is it?_

It was no use. The Off-White Room, with its lush cream carpeting and fully-furnished interior, had plenty of little gaps and spaces. It could be underneath the side table that stood right next to the door. It could be under the low coffee table. Or behind the brilliantly ornate but utterly impractical generic tribal statue, or inside the vase a little way from the doorway. So many places, so little time...

"So," she said suddenly, "what exactly were you going to show me?" she said in a honeyed voice that could be interpreted as either affectionate curiosity or thinly-veiled menace.

_Guess I'll have to wing it._ "Nothing. I just said that to get you to the door. Frankly, I'm surprised you believed me."

Feeling better, Temari swung her legs over the side of the bed, and leaned in, inches from his face, probing eyes staring into his soul. "So what are you here for?"

He thought fast. He needed a good answer, and he needed it quick. And the truth won't do, not now, not while the rose isn't in his hands. It was supposed to be the declarative first move, the grand gesture that would sweep her off her feet and show her how serious he was. The words by themselves, even if they were truthful... they would sound kind of lame. _Especially since I haven't even sorted them out yet..._

"Well?"

"I'm your official guide here in Konoha," he blurted out.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto, Temari, Shikamaru, and all characters mentioned here aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them, and making them do what I want. Nobody's making money out of this. It's just honest, good fun.

Notes: I probably won't be able to update for a couple of weeks. I've got ideas, it's just that I probably won't have time to flesh them out as properly as I want to. But I'll definitely find the time. For now, I'll just leave you guys with this.

---------------------------

**Sixth Move**

It was a beautiful day, and the leaf village of Konoha was living up to its namesake. Verdant trees sashayed in the wind, apparently showing off their thick foliage to any passers-by who would care to look. Fortunately, a lot of the people were preoccupied with the sort of thing people do during beautiful days, which generally involved taking in the fresh air, basking in sunshine, and admiring the scenery.

Temari was all for beautiful scenery, having spent most of her life in the desert, and always appreciated a change of pace. She wasn't like a tourist, though, as that type of person tends to read about the different sights and experiences a place has to offer, then makes plans to go there sometime, and commits himself to the experience by making the necessary travel arrangements months in advance. When it came to traveling, she took opportunities as they came, and made the most of them, no matter who she had them with. She had traveled with Kankurou and Gaara many times, and had willed herself to have a pleasant time--or, in Gaara's case, not to cringe in fear of what could happen--so one could say that she can travel with pretty much anyone, as long as she was merely expected to be civil.

However, today she was finding it very hard to be civil. The shadow-bending twit had burst in on her, forced his way into her room, and told her that he, a kid who was three years younger than she was, was to be her official guide in Konoha. _This is a test,_ she thought. _It has to be. She's trying to see how diplomatic I can be._

So even though the way he had announced himself was highly unusual, and he was unable to produce any kind of proof to back up his claim, she went along with it. Shikamaru had offered to take her to the best ramen house in Konoha. "It's not too far from here. It's not too fancy, though, but it should be all right. There's nothing like actual neighborhood cuisine to introduce yourself to a new place."

"Baka. I've been here before, you know," she had snapped. "Can't you just admit that you're too cheap to treat your diplomats with the respect that they deserve?"

"Shut up," he replied testily. "The place I'm talking about is a good place. And it's clean, too. I know for certain that they wash their dishes there."

This was true. He had seen Naruto, their best customer, wash enough dishes to pay for a hundred bowls several times before. The place had to be nice too, he judged, since any place that would call Naruto their best customer would have to belong to a very kind and generous man.

"Anyway, the last time you were here you were planning the destruction of Konoha. Not exactly the best circumstances for touring."

Temari bristled at this. "You know that we were tricked into it," she growled. Her stomach did the same.

Shikamaru glanced down, and, noting Temari's humiliation, decided to speak first. "Look, a free meal's a free meal, right? Don't fight me on this. Or you and your stomach can keep on whining. But I say we're going to that noodle house."

And here they were, walking under the trees, making their way to Shikamaru's beloved Ramen House.

"You're wrong, you know." She said, as the wind blew leaves around their feet, green dancers performing a complex, arrhythmic tattoo.

"Oh, what now?" He muttered, lazily kicking some errant leaves out of his way.

"The last time we were here, we saved your ass."

They walked on. Shikamaru was getting irritated: he was under enough pressure pretending to be this woman's official guide without her turning every conversation into an exercise in Barbed Words 101. He should be used to it, though. In fact, he had rather missed it. "No, you're wrong," he replied somewhat testily. "Last time you were here, we had just saved your asses."

Temari stopped. _Damn it, I'm not going to get sucked in._ "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry. And thank you," she added, trying not to make it sound forced.

"That's better," said Shikamaru, who was too worried to wonder how he had won so easily. "And you're welcome," he added, remembering that he was supposed to be diplomatic. _Yeah, now's not the time to fight her. Got to remember that I'm her official guide, so I've got to be cordial. Still, I wouldn't have to put on this stupid charade if she had just opened the damned door in the first place._

_Damn damn damn,_ he swore internally. _Why'd she have to be so resistant back there?_ _Sure, she had just taken a bath, but is a simple "just a minute" too much to ask? Put someone in a fancy suite, then they act like it's supposed to shut out the whole world..._

He was just ranting. What really pissed him off was that the plan had not worked, and now he's in a situation he was totally unprepared for. He had lied, and that bought him some time with her, but this went beyond the ordinary bluff. He was misrepresenting himself--specifically, he was claiming a duty and position that wasn't bestowed on him. He was Putting Words In Tsunade's Mouth.

There had to be a law against that, and he wondered how heavy a penalty this would incur in his case. Even if he said that he was just showing initiative, that usually involved the proper consent first. Besides, him showing initiative? It was a bald-faced lie that would wither and die as soon as it squeezed past his tightly pursed lips. All those years of keeping his head down, watching what he did, gone to waste. They'd find out soon. He would surely be punished for this.

He had to stop thinking. He can't handle the ideas that followed.

"So," he said, in an effort to make conversation, "how do you like Konoha?"

She was about to say "what do you care", but stopped herself. _Diplomacy, diplomacy..._

"I think it's a great place," she said, unveiling a brilliantly engineered smile. "The people are very friendly, and everyone I've encountered so far has treated me well." _Except you, pineapple-head, but you won't hear that from me._ "Even Lady Tsunade was extremely helpful and supportive of my cause. That must be why she sent you," she added, vaguely remembering that flattery was one of the basic tools of the diplomat.

Shikamaru regarded her smile and sudden pleasantness with suspicion. _You should know by now that I'm impervious to sarcasm,_ Shikamaru thought automatically, although he didn't say it. _Diplomacy, diplomacy... _

He picked out his most pleasant smile, and tried it on. "Well, that's nice of you to say, and I hope you like the rest of Konoha just as much. But tell me, Ambassador Temari," he said, remembering that using someone's name and honorific to address them was a basic skill in being diplomatic, "what does your country hope to gain from being friends with us? Everyone says you need our help in matters concerning education and training of your people in warfare, but I'd like to know: what exactly do you need us to help you with?"

She looked at him, and his smile. _He's supposed to be testing me, isn't he? Why would he be interested?_ "Our country is interested in becoming strong," Temari said. "Our previous leader had thought that power would be most useful if it were invested in only a few elite individuals: Gaara, Kankurou and I were trained under that philosophy. But the phrase 'power at a point' only makes sense if you're talking about attacking the enemy. When it comes to defending and holding your own, it's pretty stupid. We've learned that cooperation is necessary for survival. Now, we want to live without fear. And for that to happen, our people must stand on their own feet."

"I didn't think that you were the diplomatic sort, though."

"I'm not. But there's no one better. Kankurou's too suspicious, Gaara's too intimidating. They picked me because I was a woman, which makes me not very threatening." She scoffed.

"Don't you feel used, though? Normally, you'd take that sort of thinking as an insult."

"Of course I'm insulted. But if swallowing my pride is what it takes to get you guys to help us, then I'll do it. Beggars can't be choosers, and someone has to beg. I guess it just happens to be my turn to do it."

"I see." He reflected on this. _She cares. That's why she's here. Despite all her big talk, put-downs, and I'm-a-badass-warrior-woman posturing, she has a big heart. Why does she hide it? _

"Seems like you really care about Sunna," Shikamaru remarked.

"Of course," Temari replied simply. "I'm not just tough, you know. Maybe you'd have learned that sooner if you listened once in a while."

In that instant, Shikamaru fell a little further.

"If you talked like this all the time, I would've started listening long ago."

Temari grinned knowingly. "Well, I never had to be diplomatic before. Anyway, let's walk a little faster."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ino stared at space, wondering how Shikamaru was doing. He had to have done well; a blue rose was something that any girl would find meaningful. And it was beautiful. She'd have to be a real bitch not to be blown away by that.

Still, Shikamaru might screw it up. No matter how good a strategist he is, he's pretty unmotivated. Being declarative and forward isn't his strong suit. He won't force anyone to do anything, even if he has to to get what he wants. That's the thing with Shikamaru: he's got lots of patience, and the prospect of waiting for opportunities is something that he's comfortable with. Creating opportunities isn't his forte. He'd rather not, and would exert minimum effort if there was no guarantee that he'd win.

_He should've won the match back in the Chuunin exam,_ she thought. _What a waste. He didn't even think of himself as the last remaining member of the Ino-shika-Cho combo. He could've gone further. But no, he had to reason it out. He had to think rationally. And he'll never look back and ask himself "what if?" He'd just remember things as they were, not as they could have been. He was infuriatingly literal and single-minded, even if he could think in circles._

"Intelligence!" she spat. "Why can't he use what he has?" She went on thinking while puttering around the shop. _If he was really serious about that girl, then he'd have to try a lot harder than this. He has to realize that people aren't books, that when it comes to feelings, putting yourself out there isn't so unusual, and is actually expected. Men are supposed to be tough, and they're supposed to be able to handle it. If he doesn't understand that, then he'll just go through life assuming that everything's a game, that people are programmable, and everyone acts in utterly predictable and straightforward ways._

_Why couldn't he understand that people think in circuitous ways because they have to? If they just went around saying what they meant, then they're setting themselves up for a life of loneliness. Take women, for instance. We're expected to be kind, gentle, loving, nurturing, and forgiving. And if we don't live up to that, then we're just bitches. But sometimes, things just gather, the weight adds up, and there's no way for it to be released. The only way to cope is to know that there's someone who understands what we feel, who's willing to listen, and who, because of that understanding, will let us act like bitches every once in a while. _

She swept the dust outside the door. Now the next step was to water the plants. There were many different flowers, and you had to know what each one of them needed so that you could care for them properly. Ino was very conscientious about her plants. She spent a lot of time with them, and had invested a lot of emotions in learning about them. She remembered how many of them she had killed over the years, and was terribly upset over each one. _Men aren't good at being sympathetic,_ she reflected. _They wouldn't care about a dead plant, they'd just look at how many of them were left alive. It's just as well that women are the ones who are expected to be caring, nurturing, and perceptive when it came to what other people needed._

_Sasuke Uchiha._ _Now there was an interesting case. _He was cool, in a solitary, brooding kind of way, and you just felt like he needed to be understood. And he was so guarded all the time. It was so hard to read him. He mostly kept to himself, and nobody knew anything about him. Sure, there was the Sharingan Bloodline limit, but that was something that he got from his family. It's not uniquely his. What was important to him--his feelings, his emotions, his personal history--no one knew much about that, and he didn't seem particularly interested in sharing. Finding a way to reach out was a challenge. It would take a woman of great patience and love to do that, and that was his appeal. If you can unlock Uchiha Sasuke, then you can win over any man in the village.

_And he's pretty handsome. There, I said it. Who says women can't be shallow and superficial, too?_

_Sakura Haruno. My rival._ Yes, she had to admit that Sakura had probably beaten her in that respect. It was hardly a fair contest, was it? She had been teamed up with him, so she spent long hours, days, weeks, and months training with him and seeing him. She most likely knew about him intimately by now, so she probably would be the girl who was closest to understanding him...

...the closest to deserving him.

Come to think of it, she had known Shikamaru all her life. They'd grown up together, what with their fathers having been tight friends, and so they were friends too. She's seen him as a whiney baby, as a quietly observant toddler, and now knows him as a lazy, unmotivated adolescent. She's seen every stage of his life, and so she had to be the only woman to really understand him.

Her father was right about that, at least. She was in the best position to help him. Why her father wanted to help Shikamaru was beyond her, but she didn't have to know all of his motives all the time. She trusted her father. Some people couldn't do that, though, and she wondered why. It was so easy. All you had to remember is that if you didn't know something in your head, then you looked at what you knew in your heart. There was no analysis involved.

You'd think someone as smart as Shikamaru could grasp the concept. But no, he won't even tell her who it was._ How long have we known each other? Doesn't all that time mean that I'm entitled to know just one little secret? I just want to help, and you obviously need it. It would be better for us both if you simply trusted me, and told me who the hell she is. Is she so important to you that you're forgetting who I am?_

She finished watering the plants. She had years of experience taking care of plants, and knew what they needed. That's what women are good at. The more time they spent with something, the more they learned about it. _I know him well enough to help him. Doesn't he know me well enough to trust me?_

She gave up. There was no use getting worked up over it. Shikamaru won't even react if she told him. He'd just note that she's upset, and with a resigned sigh, would figure that he has to find a way to make her feel better, so she wouldn't be so troublesome. He'd ask her what she wanted him to do, and she'd tell him, and he'd give her what she wanted, but he just wouldn't get it. He had to understand what he was doing, otherwise it would be meaningless. He has to feel like she deserved to know; she didn't want pity or submission. _I'll just keep on helping him. He doesn't trust me yet, so I'll just have to give him more time, during which I'll earn his trust. _

She pursed her lips, humming tunelessly to her little friends. _This girl had better be worth it, Shikamaru. When I find out who she is, she'd better be someone you deserve, and someone who deserves you._

--------------------------------------------------------------------

A little later, they made it to the Ramen House. It was a nice, friendly place: not nice in the Fun-For-The-Whole-Family way that most fast food chains want to represent themselves, but in the way that neighborhood pizza parlors or coffee shops was nice. Waitresses passed by with a smile, and returned immediately to their current tasks of serving loyal customers--Temari had no idea how long the people who were eating had known about the place, but she knew that they had to be faithful. It was just that kind of establishment.

The smell of freshly-concocted ramen hung like a light mist, and penetrated her senses as soon as they entered. Temari's stomach grumbled even more loudly. "Let's sit down, and order, shall we?" Shikamaru said, leading Temari to a table for two.

He pulls out a chair for her. She sat down, expressing her thanks as nicely as she could, and throwing in a smile. He threw one back at her.

Just as he was taking his seat, a voice thrust into his ear. "Shikamaru! What are you doing here?"

He look around; Naruto was there, at the next table, making short work of what seemed to be his twelfth bowl of gyudon. It must be time for him to wash dishes again, Shikamaru thought; Naruto has a standing arrangement with the owner of the bar to let him wash dishes one weekend a month in exchange for bowls of gyudon. Instead of slowing down his consumption, however, he tends to get in as many bowls as he can before he has to do his deed. He didn't think of it as a work day so much as a deadline.

"Fancy meeting you guys here!" He stood up and walked over, giving Temari a little wave.

"Yeah, same to you. Temari here hasn't eaten lunch, and neither have I, so I decided to take her here. What about you, Naruto? It's two o' clock. You don't usually eat lunch this late."

"I know. It's frustrating, but I had wasted the morning and noon sweeping the village."

"Sweeping?" _He's doing community service?_

"Yeah, you know! Looking around, exploring! I made twenty shadow clones of myself, and fanned out in different directions from Old Lady Tsunade's office. By the way, the welt on your forehead looks really painful. You probably should get that looked at."

Temari winced at Naruto's forceful familiarity. "It's fine," she said.

"Yeah, just a little mishap. It'll be gone by tonight." Shikamaru shook his head, giving her a little shrug. _You'll get used to it._

"What were you doing at Tsunade's office?" Temari asked.

Naruto beamed like a loud, bouncy sun. "She told me that I'm to be your official guide to Konoha!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters! Nor do I make money from this! So please, don't sue me!

Notes: I _really_ won't be able to update for a couple of weeks. I know that's what I said last time, but this time, I'm serious. Lots of things to do, lots of requirements to attend to, and I've recently sworn off putting off my real life for this more relaxing hobby. Anyway, I'll still be checking my email every now and then. If anyone's got any story requests, or suggestions, or anything, just PM me, okay?

**Seventh Move**

If you're a firm believer in behavioral psychology, you'll understand that the body can be considered as the mind's puppet. Your body is yours to manipulate based on how you feel, and people will pick up on your actions and judge your personality and emotions based on that. Crossed arms, stomping legs, pounding fists, clenched jaws... emotions can be articulated through movement of particular features. And as far as indicators go, watching someone's eyes usually reveal some pretty good tells.

Consider the eyes of three people. Two of them--a boy and a girl--were seated, and one boy--he wore an orange jacket and a greasy face--was standing up. Shikamaru, Temari, and Naruto had just met at a small ramen house. Was it a good meeting? Their eyes showed different perspectives.

Naruto's eyes were scrunched up, the cheeks pushing up at them to form little half-crescents of pride and joy, as if to say "I'm the official guide to the ambassador of Sunna. That's you, Temari. Wow, that's pretty neat, huh? Don't you think so too, Shikamaru?"

The eyes of the ambassador, Temari, showed a mixture of anger, menace and confusion, all rolled up in two green cauldrons, and they said "I thought that Shikamaru, the clever brat, was the one who was supposed show me around. That's why I decided to put up with his barging into my room, follow him to this matchbox of a ramen house, and pretend to be nice to him all along. So are you telling me that he's tricked me again? And that I should kill him?"

Shikamaru's eyes were bugging out, and they just did the visual equivalent of swearing. Normally half-closed lids were forced open in panic, the eyeballs themselves making a concerted effort to get away from the rest of the body, which they knew was going to be dead very soon. _The only question is how. Will Temari murder me now? Or will Tsunade have me executed later? _

_Naruto, you just signed my death certificate. The least you could do is stop smirking happily._

Naruto went on, smirking happily. "Yeah. She said that Temari was Sunna's official ambassador, and that she had impressed Tsunade with her courteous and diplomatic demeanor. So right after their meeting, she decided to assign a guide for her, and picked me. Had no idea where you were, though, so I had to look everywhere. Funny meeting you here, just when I stopped looking!"

"Hilarious," Shikamaru said, a waxen grin plastered on his face.

"Shikamaru here said that he's my guide." Temari said accusingly. She wore a face, one that showed barely-restrained anger, and pointed it at Shikamaru, who almost flinched. It seemed like she was going to get a lot less diplomatic very soon, and Shikamaru was going to bear the brunt of it.

"Really? I didn't know about that." Naruto shrugged, oblivious to the lowered social temperature. "But I'm your official guide. Let's see, I'm supposed to take you around town, show you the schools... Hehehe, I don't even know what you want to see our training program for, though---Hey!"

"Seems like there's a bit of miscommunication here," Shikamaru said brightly, standing up and grabbing Naruto by the arm. "Excuse us while we sort it out. If you're hungry, just order ahead. I suggest you try the gyudon, it's a house specialty." They sat down at Naruto's table, leaving Temari with an expression of fury.

_Typical. Men tripping over each other. _She wondered, briefly, whether she ought to be flattered that two guys were fighting over her, but remembered that they were both three years younger than her. _They really are a couple of kids._

At the next table, the kids bickered. At least, one of them tried to, while the other simply ate. "How could she pick you?" Shikamaru hissed.

Naruto inhaled a noodle. Some people didn't feel comfortable eating if they knew that the person they shared the table with wasn't eating with them. Naruto wasn't one of them. Anyway, he'd offered Shikamaru a greasy piece of beef, but he had just waved it away irritably. "Actually, I was wondering that myself. But she explained to me that some diplomats can be pretty tricky, and act differently from how they normally do. Apparently, I have the ability to bring out people's true nature, just by being myself. That's why she chose me."

Shikamaru nodded. _Translation: even the most patient and naturally silver-tongued diplomat will be helpless in the face of Naruto. He's the perfect way to test her. Looks like the Fifth Hokage has a wicked sense of humor after all. Wonder if she's been talking to dad? _"Listen, Naruto. It's very important that you let me be her official guide."

Naruto looked incredulous as he resumed eating bowl 12. "What? Look, Tsunade already gave me the assignment. I can't just give it to you."

"Trust me, it's a very good reason," Shikamaru murmured, glancing over at Temari's table.

She seemed to have followed his suggestion, ordering the gyudon. On the other hand, Naruto's twelve-bowl conquest was better than a thousand-word review that was preceded by five stars, as far as recommendations went. She ate hungrily, cheeks bulging and jaws chomping away. _She doesn't watch what she eats? I thought all women did that. __At least, Ino says they do. Maybe she's not as authoritative on women as I thought._

Temari glanced up from her meal, looking in their direction for a split-second. _Damn it, we're so close. Can she hear us? _"I just can't tell you. Come on, let me take this."

Bowl 12 was finished, and Naruto waved a hand and flashed a smile at the nearest waitress, who smiled back. Bowl 13, coming up. "I can't, buddy," he declared loudly. People three tables away looked up from their meals, glancing in their direction. They were used to Naruto being noisy, and usually ignored him. But they had noticed him talking to the unknown blonde-haired young lady, who had come in with Shikamaru, who seemed to be upset with Naruto over something right now.

_Great. Now I'm part of a scene. _Shikamaru shook his hands urgently. "Keep your voice down!"

Naruto looked puzzled. "Why?"

Shikamaru's voice shot out as a quick, panicked whisper. "You're too loud, that's why! Look, sometimes people want to be able to discuss things without people a hundred feet away knowing about it, and I happen to be one of those people. Privacy's a privilege, and I'll thank you not to deprive me of mine."

Shikamaru looked around shiftily. Naruto, seeing, this, did the same. It didn't look like he knew what for, though. "You know I like you, Shikamaru," Naruto said, keeping his voice at an acceptably low volume. "And I'd love to stay here and eat as many more gyudon bowls as I can. But you brought her here. Now that I've met her, I've got to take her around town."

"But you don't want to." _Keep calm, keep calm. Desperation just leads to stupid mistakes. That's what got you here in the first place._

"So? It's my job. Tsunade said so, and I can't just say no and give it to someone else like you want me to. She'd get mad. Anyway, why do you want to do it?"

Shikamaru hesitated. He glanced back briefly at the table. "I can't tell you that."

Naruto looked puzzled. "Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Is it a matter of the security of Konoha?"

"No."

"Is it something that could get me in trouble?"

"Not exactly."

"Is it something that would get worse if I knew?"

"Probably not."

"Well?"

_How bad could it be? Naruto's not exactly a gossip, so it's not as if he'll tell everyone else if he knew. And it's not like he doesn't know how to keep a secret, either. Besides, he's not the type of guy who'd give meaningless advice and tell you what you should do, like dad, or someone who'd poke and prod and ask for every detail like Ino. Unpredicatable as he is, there are some things he just won't do, and that makes him a lot less troublesome than most other people would be._

As he considered this, Naruto eyed him with curiosity, masticating the last of Gyudon bowl 13 with care. He wiped his mouth; the orange sleeve moved aside to reveal an impish grin growing on his face. "All right, if that's how we're playing, then I'll just take over showing her around town from here." He stood up. "Hey, Temari-san!"

"No, don't!" Shikamaru pulled him sharply by the wrist, brow furrowed in frustration. _Feh, this is so troublesome. _"Okay, I'll tell you why."

----------------------------------------------

What are the chances of a blue rose ending up in the urn near the door in one corner of an ambassador's suite, having been dropped inside by a thirteen-year-old ninja boy who had forced his way in against the wishes of a sixteen-year-old ninja girl?

Probably not very high. In fact, if you consider that all this was happening in a fictional universe filled with ninja and giant frogs, and evil men who sought the secret to ultimate power and immortality, and weapons that controlled wind and techniques that could bind people with shadows, then you could safely say that it was probably pretty contrived.

A statistician would know, but he's not available for comment. Perhaps if he were, he'd say that it would fall somewhere between a million to one and a billion to one. It would be nice if it were a round number, something that didn't have more than two different digits to remember, one of them being 0.

Still, we're not concerned with possibility or probability. We're sticking to the story.

Why else would the rose be in there right now?

----------------------------------------------

"And that's the story. Tsunade called me over a couple of hours after you left, and she told me to tell you that I'm taking over. But she didn't say if she wanted you to go back there. Probably not a good idea, given how mad she was."

"But I was hungry! Besides, she didn't say that she wanted me to find her right away!" Naruto wailed, his body hunched over the table, head buried in his hands. He lost his appetite; there wasn't going to be any room for bowl 14 today. Who knew that Tsunade would get so bent out of shape over this? It wasn't even a class E mission, for gods' sake!

"I knew you'd react like this. That's why I didn't want to tell you in the first place. Look, keep your chin up, we've got to make a good impression." He looked around. The normal din of chopsticks and spoons clattering against ceramic bowls had returned, and people's interests seemed to have shifted back to finishing their respective meals. They had all seemed briefly interested in the goings-on at the Table-For-Two-With-Thirteen-Bowls. First Shikamaru seemed frustrated at Naruto, who seemed oblivious and cheerful, but less than five minutes later, the blonde-haired, noisy kid had deflated and grown upset over something the village's newest Chuunin had said. At that point, courtesy had won over curiosity, and they decided to stop watching.

That was five minutes ago, and Naruto's mood showed no signs of improvement. "What'll I do?" he moaned.

Shikamaru felt bad about this, and scrabbled desperately for a way to cheer him up. "Tell you what; don't ask me how I know this, but Ino's in a particularly helpful mood today. I'm pretty sure she'd feel like playing cupid for anyone who'd walk into her shop. If you go there now, she might just help you get a date with Sakura. Meanwhile, I'll take care of things. I'll talk to Tsunade, too."

Naruto looked up at him. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty positive. Just go over there, I've got things covered on this end." _Please, Ino. Go along with this. You said so yourself. I really need your help._

"But I probably shouldn't leave yet, though."

"Oh yeah, definitely. You've got to help me clean up this mess. Temari won't probably believe me unless you're there to vouch for me. That's why I wanted you to keep quiet, you know. I know you meant well, but you didn't exactly make either of us look good back there."

"Sorry, Shikamaru."

"Don't worry about it. Just help me fix this. And don't bother going to Tsunade, she probably won't want to talk to you. I'll just go over there and smooth things over later this afternoon, okay?"

"Okay, but there's something I don't get. If you knew this all along, why'd you ask why Tsunade picked me?"

"Actually, I said 'How could she pick you'. And I meant it in an entirely different sense." Shikamaru felt pangs of guilt as Naruto hung his head and furrowed his brow. He stood up and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. He spoke as encouragingly as he could. "Anyway, cheer up. Got to be cheerful when dealing with the Ambassador from Sunna, right?"

_Sorry about this, Naruto,_ Shikamaru thought._ I hate to lie, but you were about to get me killed. _

_Besides, you might be good at keeping secrets, but something tells me that you wouldn't be good at not telling anyone that you have a secret. If people saw me walking around with her, they might start asking questions. They might ask you. You'd probably buckle under the pressure, so you'd probably say "Shikamaru made me promise not to tell."_

_Anyway, this is my secret, and I'd feel a lot better if I didn't make anyone else lie to keep it.__ For now, I'll just keep it to Ino and dad. __And probably his buddies._

_But it looks like I have to talk to Tsunade later. If I want my alibi to be really believable, she's got to back me up. Once I've got her approval, my story'll be as good as true. Got to sort it out later._

_Hope she'll go along with it, though. Tch, how troublesome._

They went back to the table, where Temari was eating her third order of gyudon. Naruto nodded approvingly. "So, have you decided which one of you is supposed to be with me?"

"It's been sorted out. Lady Tsunade changed her mind after Naruto left, and decided that I'd be a better guide for you than he would. She asked me to take over, and tell Naruto here about the change of plans. He just didn't give me a chance to explain earlier."

Temari took in a particularly large mouthful. Her cheeks imploded, like collapsing buildings. She put a hand to her chest, and her chin swung forward slightly, giving the impression of a pelican engulfing a particularly feisty fish. "She doesn't look like the type who'd change her mind suddenly like that," she said, her voice indicating that the food wasn't the only thing she was finding difficult to swallow.

_No she isn't,_ Shikamaru thought wretchedly. It was a terrible bluff, but he had to stick to it. _Please, please, let this work. _"I know, it's really unlike her. But that's what happened. You can ask Naruto yourself."

"Is that so?" Temari said, turning towards Naruto.

"That's right," Naruto said automatically. "Shikamaru's right. He's the guy you should be with," he said cheerfully. To Shikamaru's horror, he threw in what was supposed to be an encouraging waggle of the eyebrows, but ended up looking like he had a tic. He then gave Shikamaru a big grin and a thumbs-up, which the latter reciprocated somewhat glumly. _He thinks he's being friendly. He'll start nudging my ribs and slapping me in the back any time now._

"You couldn't find a better guide, Temari-nesan. He's smart, and he's wandered Konoha looking for cloud-watching spots enough times to know the village like the back of his hand. And don't let his scrawny-looking body fool you," Naruto went on. "I've been swimming with him before, near the old waterfall. Let me tell you something: when he takes off his shirt, you'll see he could be a real cowpie!"

Silence followed. Naruto stood there, pleased with himself. Shikamaru's dismay had grown into real physical illness.

"It's funny you should mention that," Temari said. "I've actually always thought of him as a cowpie."

"I think he meant 'beefcake'," Shikamaru said wearily, fingers pressed against his temple. "Which I'm not," he added. "Anyway, thanks a lot, Naruto. Those were all very good things to say. We'll see you again sometime." He sat down, eyeing Naruto meaningfully.

"Oh, yeah sure! Can't hold you guys up, right? Probably got a schedule to keep, or sights to see, or whatever. See you guys around, then!" He waved to the owner of the restaurant, who was an honest man, and made it a point to mingle with the customers as often as he could. "Hey, Ebi-san, I'll be back on Saturday to do those dishes!" And with that, he left, singing tunelessly to fend off the afternoon heat.

Shikamaru watched him go. He watched Temari warily, and breathed out in relief. She didn't seem too interested in asking questions anymore. Naruto's horrid attempts at giving him a good review had distracted her, fortunately...

Then it struck him. _Does he know?_ Shikamaru wondered. _It doesn't look like he understood why I was looking back at Temari earlier, but he was being too friendly back there. He acted as if we had an unspoken understanding. And he was selling me to Temari way too eagerly._

The thought hung in the air. He couldn't get past his suspicion, and couldn't be sure that he was right, but it didn't matter. As far as he was concerned, the number of troublesome people in his world just went up by one.

--------------------------------

The kind old lady entered the Off-White Room quietly. The young lady had left with that nice boy about forty-five minutes ago, and she probably didn't have much time left to tidy up. She had to hurry. _I knew I should've cleaned this room yesterday._

The visible surfaces were immaculate, but the woman knew that there would be dirt hidden from view, and ordinarily made it a point to inspect and clean those places as well. Quick but thorough, that was her way. It was easy to be thorough, when you knew where dust tended to accumulate.

With gloves on, she puttered around, humming under her breath, dusting under the table, under the sofa cushons, inside the urn...

There was a blue rose in it.

"Oh dear," she tutted to herself. "What an absent-minded young man." She had noticed that he held something as he asked after the ambassador, but he had kept it hidden. He must have wanted to give it to his girlfriend, but forgot all about it. He did seem rather flustered when they went out for lunch.

_He's so young_, she thought. _Is he really old enough for this sort of thing? Youngsters today. Can't waste a minute of their lives, always rushing to get somewhere and do something. When they get there, though, they panic, and forget what they wanted in the first place. They never think things through._

_Still, it would be such a shame to let his efforts go to waste. Blue roses aren't easy to come by._ She sighed wistfully as she recalled her dearly departed husband, and how he had searched for weeks to find a blue rose in time for their first anniversary...

She picked up a vase, went into the bathroom, filled it with water, and put the rose inside. She then set it down on the side table near the bed. _There you are, my dear. I hope this helps you. I just hope that you'd be more careful next time._

She smoothed out the bed's covers, resumed dusting, and sprayed the room with her specially-made scent. Once she was satisfied, she left the room, glowing with the satisfaction from a job done well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **This story contains characters that are not mine. I am using them self-indulgently, with no intention of profiting from someone else's creation. Please don't sue me.

**Notes: **I expect that I won't be able to post another update for another couple of weeks. Stuff just keeps piling up in my life, and my prcrastinative tendencies are not helping at all. Got to catch up on some things. But you guys can count on an update. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.

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**Eighth Move**

"So aside from cloudwatching, you like playing shogi and go and taking naps?"

"Yep. Tried playing that sudoku thing once. You know, putting numbers one through nine in boxes? The rules are pretty simple, actually."

"Yeah, I've heard of it. How long does it take you to solve it?"

"On a good day, a five-star puzzle takes eight minutes. You ever played it?"

"Once, I tried solving a four-star puzzle. I solved it in fifteen minutes. Never played again, though. I couldn't see the point in playing games by yourself. Besides, I like gardening much better."

"You can grow plants there?"

"Baka. Of course. It just takes more effort, but if you're conscientious like me, you can do well."

"I see."

He went back to eating his ramen, while she watched the customers file out of the restaurant. The lunch rush had been long over, and the only customers left were the couples, all of whom were perfectly happy. Somehow, the whispered words, giggles and chuckles that never quite reached their ears still managed to bother them.

First dates are always awkward, but if someone were to ask him, Shikamaru would hesitate to call what they were doing a date. After all, it was spur of the moment, it was in broad daylight, they didn't do the whole "pick you up at eight" thing. Granted, he had brought the blue rose, but gods knew where that was right now.

It wasn't a date. Neither of them knew they'd be out together this morning. They weren't even in the same village before that day. Some would consider this fate, but he just thought it was a pain. If something important was going to happen--like eating out with the Ambassador of Sunna, say--it's better to know about it beforehand, and mark it on the calendar, so he could glance at it for days, a constant reminder for him to prepare. As long as he knew what needed doing, he'd see to it, and would be ready for every eventuality the important event could possibly present. By the time he was there, all the nervousness would have been diffused over the past few days.

_Yes, that's right. Preparation's the key. Seeing and studying what would happen from a distance is always better than trying to assess the situation while you're in the thick of it._

Now, here he was, face-to-face with her, at _Ebi's Eatery_--that was the place's name--and he found himself running down an unfamiliar social checklist. He was suddenly painfully aware of the importance of presentability, and tried hard to remember if he had brushed his teeth that morning. He always did, but he's never had to ask himself the question before. Neither did he have to consider how well he brushed his teeth, or if what he had for breakfast could have left something stuck between them, or left him with an unholy case of bad breath. It unnerved him.

He ate on as Temari sat across from him, playing idly with the pepper shaker, rolling it back and forth on the table. Three empty bowls were promptly taken away by a politely cheerful member of the staff. He'd never had to pay for three beefbowls before, either. The old man was too stingy for that. Not that Shikamaru resented him for it; you can only earn so much from deer handling. But a little more money could've been more useful.

_Next on the list is... Ah, yes. People try to maintain rapport on dates._

"Could you hand me the pepper shaker, or is the grown-up girl still playing with it?"

"Can't you eat faster?" she retorted. It seemed like they had simultaneously and independently come to the same conclusion, which was that it would be easier and more practical to not be diplomatic, at least for the day.

"Cut me some slack, please. You had a head start." She scowled, but grudgingly handed over the condiment.

"Sure, but you don't have to pick out all the boiled eggs, do you?"

He grimaced. "I do. I hate eggs."

"Why? You have a problem with eggs? Weak constitution, maybe?"

"No. I just hate them. I don't like how they taste, and the whole meal would be spoiled if I left them in."

"You're a weird one."

A thousand retorts, not one of which he can get through a mouth filled with noodles. They sat in silence again. Minutes passed, filled with the ingestion of noodles and soup, punctuated by the clink of chopsticks against the bowl as he set aside more pieces of egg. Internally, he wished the awkwardness would go away. He wondered if she felt as self-conscious as he did, and if she did, why she would feel that way. Ironically, this line of thinking made him feel even more awkward and self-conscious. _Should I ask her how she is right now? Or should I wait for her to say something?_

Eventually, Temari decided to break the ice. She gestured towards the bowl of egg chunks, and asked if she could have some. He didn't mind.

She devoured them instantly. _Traveling all this way must be pretty hard,_ he thought. He said so.

"Yeah. Sorry. I must look like a glutton right now, but I've got to eat. Rations only go so far."

"I can imagine. Well, here you go, then. A man's got to provide." He pushed the bowl closer to her side, and they shared his beefbowl. And the second one, and the third.

After sharing so many beefbowls, it was only a matter of time before they shared stories.

He spoke of the school's educational program, and how often he had been reprimanded for spacing out. In his defense, though, he often got to the conclusion they were driving at three or four times over before they did. How was it his fault if the teachers normally took so long to get to the point? He understood that it was for the benefit of his other classmates, but he couldn't see the point of having to go at their pace, and saw nothing wrong with using his extra time think about other things once in a while.

Sometimes he wished they could just go out and be ninjas, doing things ninjas did, instead of talking about it all the time. Of course, he wouldn't mind skipping out on the whole fighting-to-the-death thing, which seemed to become a more and more common feature of missions nowadays. Not that he really considered what he did on missions as risky; he trusted his teammates to bail him out whenever he used his Shadow-Binding technique to buy them time, and they always did.

"Ever thought of going solo?"

"Nah. Two hands, two eyes, and one giant brain can only help so much in keeping me alive. When it comes to missions, I prefer to be part of a team, and I make sure I'm useful to the team as well."

He also told her some of Naruto's more outlandish antics, including the infamous Harem no Jutsu, which she didn't like, even if he only seemed to use it jokingly and sparingly. He went on to tell her that Sasuke was still in the clutches of Orochimaru--against his will, or at least, that's how Naruto chose to see it--and his opinions on Tsunade, whom he saw as a formidable leader, woman or not.

Remembering that tact and consideration is a must in many social situations, he asked about her forehead. "It was fine, until you reminded me of it," she said. "Speaking of headaches, let me tell you a little bit about Sunna..."

Temari then spoke of Sunna's educational program, and how they often had to rush the lessons to make sure the students learned as fast as possible. A lot of the students were unable to keep up--most of them male, but she chose to omit this statistic--and she wished that they didn't have to push so hard, and spent more time covering theory with the students. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be misusing the ninja techniques they were taught: officials were initially concerned about the possibility of increased crime rates. But everybody who was taught knew what they were learning for. People put great value in morality in Sunna, where it was very hard to survive on anything else.

She also talked about Gaara's desire to be more relatable. His encounters with Naruto and Rock Lee had given him some insight, and gave him an opportunity to reflect on what he wanted. All he wanted, understandably, was acceptance. As he was, there was no way anyone would accept him. He had to change. And while he could not change what he was--"a weapon's a weapon forever", he would say--he could change what he stood for. Instead of taking innocent lives, he would protect them. The way he saw it, he could go on resenting people for seeing him as a monster, or he could do all he can to help them and, maybe one day, earn their trust. Of course, he didn't put it like that, but that was the closest she could get to understanding what he said, as opposed to what he really meant.

Shikamaru reflected, and wondered briefly how lonely Gaara's existence must've been. Never hurt, but never touched. It was depressing, and he wished that they could move on. The sudden wishful thought, however, filled him with momentary self-loathing.

Sensing Shikamaru's mood, she changed the subject. "But no matter how bad at relating to others Gaara is, he's not half as bad as our leaders when it comes to relating to other countries. They have no idea what's going on in other villages, and have a little bit of trouble keeping up with local events as well. I swear, they've got the political awareness of gnats. They were very good at saying yes to whatever the previous Kazekage said. But now that they're on their own, they can't seem to find their nostrils with their fingers without forming some fact-finding commitee on nosepicking first."

He laughed sympathetically at this. "But it can only get better, at least."

"That's what I'm hoping for. And that's exactly why I have to help. They're doing their best, and it falls on me to not let them down. A lot of Sunna's plans are riding on this, and I'm not a very good diplomat." She poked at some eggs, moving them aside, one by one, as if they were in the way of something else.

Shikamaru felt something was expected of him. He wasn't sure what, exactly, but he had an idea. _Hope this works. _

"Yeah, well, neither am I. Guess that makes your job a little easier, then."

A faint chuckle. "I guess it does."

Pretty soon, both of them had their fill of food and stories. Between them, it had taken six bowls, over two hours, and thirteen chunks of egg. Shikamaru patted his stomach contentedly, and loosened the drawstrings on his pants. While he was at it, he decided, he could retrieve his money pouch. _Not on the right. The left side, maybe?_ He shifted carefully, patting the other side of his waist. Then the back. Then his pockets.

With horror, Shikamaru realized what he had overlooked on his What-You-Need-To-Remember-When-You're-Eating-Out-With-A-Girl checklist. He had brushed his teeth, and washed his face, and taken a long, proper bath... but he had forgotten to bring his money.

It had never been a problem before. For him, there was no shame in asking for an IOU. Besides, he didn't usually eat out for lunch. _But she's here. With me. _His heart did jumping jacks, oscillating back and forth between his stomach and his throat.

_No problem,_ he told himself reassuringly._ I'll just excuse myself. I haven't gone to the bathroom yet, so that would be a plausible excuse. I'll wait till she's not looking. Then I'll duck behind that corner, pull the manager aside, talk to him, convince him to make a show of pretending to accept payment from me, and we'll be out of here without..._

"Oi, owner!" Temari yelled. "We're ready to pay!"

Shikamaru's panic rose as the manager drew closer, bill in his hand. Shikamaru closed his eyes. _Like she said, sometimes you have to suck it up. Hope she'll respect me for this..._

Shikamaru braced himself, but Temari spoke up, as the manager arrived. "Are you Ebi-san?"

"Y-yes?" he said, uncertainly. He knew who he was, of course. And even though he usually catered to families, he was used to entertaining couples, even young ones like these. But the girl had asked the question so confidently and authoritatively that he nearly stepped back. This kind of arrogance from a customer didn't fit in with his mental script, and he was thrown off. But he kept enough of his composure to position the bill as close to the customers as possible, a reminder of the final step of their transaction.

Suddenly, she thrust out a piece of paper of her own. "I'm the Ambassador from Sunna." She went on as he examined it, his mouth agape and his fingers trembling. "And this is my guest, who was kind enough to recommend your establishment to me. I've had several of your beefbowls, and I must say that my friend here has excellent taste. You can be sure that Sunna will recognize your establishment."

He understood perfectly. "Th-thank you very much! Please, as long as you are in Konoha, you're welcome anytime!" He walked away, taking the bill with him. Shikamaru sighed in relief.

"It's the least I could do," Temari said, as if he had asked for an explanation. "Thanks for taking me here."

"N-no problem."

She tilted her head. "Hey, aren't you going to say 'no, no, the man's got to provide?'"

"A man provides what he needs to provide. If I don't have to pay for the meal, why would I do it?"

"Tch. Such a miserly boy."

"Fine. If you feel that way, then I'll pay you back."

"Sure you will."

"As soon as you remind me."

"Yeah, right."

"Come on, let's just go."

They left the restaurant, walking very slowly. Without saying so, they knew why: the food had to melt, and the time had to be stretched. Temari said that she had an errand to run. "I have to postpone the meeting with the instructors, so it would be better if you took me to the academy before we went back to the inn." He agreed.

Along the way, they met Naruto several times. Sometimes he jumped from a tree branch, or yelled from across a street. Once, he even emerged from another restaurant, with which he had an arrangement similar to the one he had with Ebi-san, only involving other edible items. He always told them how long he had been looking for Temari, and that she should come with him. Shikamaru would then tell Naruto's shadow clone to Go to Ino's flower shop, That's where the original Naruto is right now, I think, I've got things covered with the Sand Village's Ambassador.

As the third shadow clone went off, Shikamaru briefly entertained the notion of there being a shadow clone of Naruto out there, somewhere, who had survived one of his many epic battles, but had been left behind and unaccounted for. He'd be wandering the land right now, he decided, trying to find his way back home, mooching beefbowls from hapless roadside shops.

After they encountered the seventh clone--he would stop counting at ten, probably--he asked her if she would've preferred Naruto as a guide. She said no. "He's too energetic for me. I've got very little patience for his personality type. Eventually, I wouldn't be able to tolerate him anymore, and there would probably be an incident. Besides, we have a history, sort of. It's easier talking to you than anyone else around here. So even though you're lazy, I still think you'd be the best guide for me. You're not so bad, after all."

"Is that so," he said noncommitally. It wasn't exactly a compliment, but he hadn't been expecting anything that good.

"How about you? Why'd you want to be my guide so badly?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Tolerance is a two-way street. You think anyone else will put up with you? And as you said, I'm sure that I'm more capable of being your guide than anyone else." He turned to her. "Anyway, I thought you were happy with me."

She cocked a smile. "Yeah, I am. No happier than you are with me, I expect."

He half-nodded, half-shrugged. "Sure." _I know what you mean, _he added mentally, as they made their way back to the ninja academy, neither one looking at the other, making sure to look everywhere else.

_It's so nice to be playing again, _Shikamaru said to himself. _Sorry dad, sorry Ino, but I guess I'll be doing this my way for now._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Naruto isn't mine. This story is. But I don't get any money from it, nor do I divert any income from the original author by writing this. Do not sue me, please. Anyway, you don't know who I am.

**Note:** It'll probably be another couple of weeks before I can update this fic. Work just keeps piling up, and finding time just gets harder and harder. As always, reviews and comments are welcomed and encouraged.

* * *

**Ninth Move**

They made their way to the ninja school, where Asuma-sensei waited. He seemed slightly annoyed that the meeting was postponed in such short notice. In spite of this, he was very understanding. "Take as long as you like. Just tell us when you're ready, maybe three days in advance. I'll tell the rest of the faculty that we're off the hook for today."

Shikamaru waved goodbye, throwing in a little smirk, and Temari simply smiled, and gave a diplomatic little bow. Asuma returned a smile which, to Shikamaru, seemed more encouraging than anything else.

As they returned to the inn, he caught a glimpse of her. Once again, she glowed in the sun. It would be so easy to reach out and take her by the shadow, he thought, but the thought passed quickly. _Not again,_ he said to himself. _Or at least, not for today._

"Listen, can I say something? Not as an official guide to the ambassador?"

"Sure. We're not being diplomatic, right?"

"If you say so."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I do say so. What is it?"

A deep breath, and a strengthening of resolve. One moment of courage was all he needed.

"I missed this. I've got plenty of friends here in Konoha, and they help me fill long days and endless hours whenever the clouds aren't around. But being with you once in a while is so much better. When I'm with you, seconds get stretched into minutes, and times goes much slower. But I don't mind at all. In fact, I like it."

At least, that's what he should've said. What he actually said was:

"This was fun."

She scoffed. "That's it? I thought it was something important."

"Well, I did. Sorry for being honest."

"Come on, I'm only kidding. Actually, I'm glad that I got to get out of the suite today. It's a big room, and I think it would've felt kind of weird for me to sit there all day, on my own."

"Glad to help." He started to walk off, hands thrust deep into his pockets, jaws tight, when she called after him.

"Should I be expecting you tomorrow morning? I take baths in the mornings, too, so I need to know what time I'll be telling you to go away."

"I haven't gotten orders on that yet. But I'll probably arrive around mid-morning. Early mornings aren't normally my thing."

* * *

Actually, late-afternoon meetings with Tsunade weren't normally his thing either. But he knew that this was another steep learning curve that he had to negotiate, and once again it involved a troublesome woman. If women didn't exist, then he probably didn't have to learn anything. 

His hands remained in his pockets, but they were clenched and drenched in sweat. As he crossed the threshold into her domain, he felt nervous, as if he was walking in there with an entirely new set of legs.

She was poring over some important documents, and didn't bother looking up. "Ah, Shikamaru. It's such a coincidence for you to be here. I hear that you met Naruto at _Ebi's Eatery_ today. You were also with the ambassador of Sunna. Very unusual, I thought."

Shikamaru didn't bother asking how she knew that, or who told her, or how much more she knew. "Yes... actually, that's what I wanted to speak with you about."

"Oh, hold that thought. I just have to take care of something. I really hate having to focus on two things at once, you see." She yelled out. "Matsuri!"

Immediately, as if she had been waiting for a cue, the young medical ninja and trusted apprentice of the Fifth strutted in smartly. She moved straight towards Tsunade's desk, barely acknowledgeing his presence. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Call off the search. The ANBU we dispatched earlier are to return to their posts at once."

Matsuri cast a sidelong glance at him, which put him off even more. "Even the plainclothes? And the daggermasters?"

"Yes, even them. Retract our claws. The mouse has wandered into the Cheshire Cat's den."

"As you wish, Tsunade-sama." As she left, Matsuri looked at him coldly, as if he was lying belly-up in a wooden box.

"A manhunt, huh?" he asked, uncertainly, watching the door slam behind her.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry, Shikamaru. A trifling matter, nothing that you need to know or worry about. As Hokage, knowing and worrying about things is my job. Really, it's such a hassle, being in charge. On paper, it looks easy. Tell people what to do, and they go do it." She took a piece of paper from a stack, scanned it briefly, then deftly blacked out a paragraph or two.

"But there are just some _troublemakers_, who don't do what you tell them," she went on in a slightly singsong alto. She picked up a document and proceeded to scan it, occasionally looking at him; only her eyes moved.

He could read the document quite easily: the candlelight passed through the paper, revealing words that could be read from right to left. But he knew that she knew this, and he knew that _she_ knew that _he_ knew, so he knew that she knew _that he wouldn't anyway_. Still, they had roles to play: she was the one who watched, and he was the one who should be too scared to even try.

Eventually, all that was left were three paragraphs out of eight. "And _then_ there are those people who do things without you telling them to." She then got up from her armchair, passing the paper over the flame as she did so. Nonchalantly, she walked over to the wastebasket, and walked away as information turned into ash. "Let me ask you: how am I expected to keep things in order when unqualified people meddle in matters in which they should have no say? Freedom is a virtue, yes, but too many cooks make a shitty batch of ramen. Don't you agree?"

Shikamaru breathed deeply, writhing underneath the unreadable smile. He shouldn't have come here. He had done a very stupid thing; several stupid things, in fact. But there was no doubling back now.

"I know what you're driving at, Tsunade-sama."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was completely out of line. I overstepped my boundaries. I didn't have the right to say that I was the guide to the ambassador of Sunna. Naruto had that authority, and I took it from him through deception. But believe me when I say that I have a very important reason for doing so..."

Tsunade waved a hand irritably. "Oh, that's not important."

"Excuse me?"

"The moment you announced yourself as the official guide, you had declared yourself to be Konoha's official liaison to Sunna. No amount of punishment I can dispense will take that away. Now that you've given them that impression, it would appear wrong for me to punish you now. So don't bother throwing yourself at my mercy, because I've got no choice but to be lenient with you at any rate."

The situation wasn't going like he expected it would. "So... I'm not in trouble?"

"In any other circumstance, you would be. But not this time. Fortunately for you, I have decided to endorse you as our guide. It's not as if my heart was set on Naruto filling the job, anyway. I don't see why I can't let you have it. Seeing as you wanted it so much."

His shoulders sagged with relief as she continued. "From now on, any and all business having to do with the ambassador will have to go through you. If anyone wants to meet with her, you'll be with her when it happens. If she wants anything, you'll be the person she asks. And you'll be the one to facilitate negotiations between Sunna and Konoha--not that you'll have any part in the decision-making process, you'll just coordinate meetings between the two parties and be a witness to the proceedings. You will give me a weekly report of your activities, and omit no detail."

"Yes, I'll do it. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I won't let you down."

"I've no doubt, because you can't afford to do otherwise. Come by my office tomorrow morning. You can pick up your endorsement documents then, along with more detailed instructions and description of your responsibilities."

"Do I have to meet her every day?" he asked, hopefully.

"Absolutely. Keep an eye on her, make sure she has what she needs. And no funny business."

"Sure thing. I'm very professional. My dad taught me that when it comes to employment, nobody pays for funny business."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Who said anything about getting paid?"

He laughed heartily for a few seconds, but she stared at him for a few seconds longer than that. "Nobody," he said, sheepishly.

* * *

Five minutes ago, Temari discovered the blue rose sitting on the table. The old lady had refused to tell her anything, only that she had found it there when she came in. Her crinkled old eyes had twinkled, however, as if she knew more than she let on. 

_Who could it be?_ she asked. She took the flower out again, inspecting it critically. She knew it wasn't a trick, but it was just so...

_Couldn't be his. Not his style. Not his kind of thing. And if it was his, why didn't he just give it to me directly?_

She didn't know what it meant, but whatever the sentiment it came with, it was heartfelt and deep. It's a blue rose, and receiving one is not a privilege to be taken lightly.

A thing of beauty, which she decided to take care of. What else could she do?

Turning to her default gardening mode, she procured a kunai, then with an expert stroke, cut the stem diagonally. She popped it back in the vase, and put it in the bathroom on the windowsill. Against the black granite and white marble, the blue rose stood out, and it made her feel good somehow. She had been flattered to get the suite, but the blue rose made the place worth so much more.

She then took a shower, humming softly, a lilting melody hidden behind the hiss of water and steam. After that, she went back to the bedroom. The bathrobe clung to her body, but she didn't mind. Who was there to see her?

Feeling totally spent, she collapsed immediately into the cushions. She refused to assume anything. Perhaps this gift was not for her, but for the ambassador of Sunna. Given the amount of extravagance the proprietor of the inn had showered he with, it wasn't that far-fetched a notion.

_Besides,_ she thought, as she sank deeper under the sheets, _if I let him see this, he might misunderstand. He's not the jealous type, but he gives up way too easily. No, he doesn't have to know about this yet._

And she had more important things to think about.

* * *

Shikamaru went home, too tired to think anymore: his dad and the rest of the original Ino-Shika-Chou, were waiting. 

"So how'd it go?"

"Fine," he muttered, going directly to his room.

As the door banged shut, the Ino-Shika-Cho combo turned their attention back to the game at hand. It would be a while before they could resume, however, as the protective seals and jutsus they had each cast around their hands and the deck had to be deactivated. They made idle conversation as theey flicked their wrists and flexed their fingers, forming complicated patterns in the air. Smoke rose and sparks leapt from the cards.

"Looks like he had a hard day." One said.

"Got dumped, you think?" Said the other.

"Nah, not yet. The kid just confessed, that takes the wind out of anyone." All three men retrieved their own hands, and inspected them carefully. Satisfied that nothing had changed, they picked up where they left off.

One went first. He spoke carefully, putting down a card. "He didn't say that. Maybe he chickened out, and now he regrets it. Maybe he feels like shit."

"Maybe, but I don't think my boy's licked just yet."

The other picks up the card, puts it in his own hand, puts down three cards, and sets another one down smugly. "What the hell do you mean by that? I thought you didn't want him to end up with the fangirl." These last words snapped out like a wet glove, and they had an edge.

"Yeah, I don't. Still, I wouldn't want him to get knocked out this easily. He's got to fight a little bit first. I'd give him three weeks, maybe a month, tops. He'd have to explore all the ways of wooing her. If all that doesn't work, he can give up." He said this as he added a fourth card to the three that had been laid down earlier. He then picked out a card, and set down another.

"But you want him to fail," said one. He was regretting his earlier decision to throw down the first card. Now he was stuck with five. Six, since he had to pick one more out from the deck.

"Sure, but if something is impossible for him, I want him to be damned sure it is before he says so. He can be as cowardly as he likes, but he will not be a man who walks away from a task without trying it first."

The one and the other exchanged looks and frowned. "You're pretty twisted," the other said.

"Says you." He took a swig from the bottle.

_Guess I'll have to ask him how it went tomorrow,_ Shikaku reflected. _Hope he did well..._

"That's my sake. You've already drunk both your bottles." said one reproachfully.

"Oh, sorry."

"And another thing," the other said, as he deftly picked out another card. "Our shop was filled with Naruto clones this afternoon. Apparently, Shikamaru sent them all over there. Gods know what he did that for, but the place is a mess. Me, I just hope the insurance company will accept that as 'property damages caused by unusual jutsu-related incidents'. But it'll be a while before we can stock up and get back in business again."

"Well, sorry about that, Inoichi."

"Yeah, it's a good thing I've got eight months' worth of wages stashed away. Otherwise we'd be in real trouble. But you'd better make it up to me." He set down three cards, and tossed one over to his friend.

He picks up the card, and adds it to his hand. "Sure, anything you say. Just tell me how."

"Haven't decided yet."

"Well, let me know when you have," he says, as he lays down four cards, then three, then adds one card to the three that had just been set down, and sets down his remaining card. The other two look at the cards in shock. "Anyway, got to take a leak. All that sake is passing right through me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** This is just fanfiction. Nobody gets paid for it, and nobody is stealing anything from the Naruto franchise. For me, this is just fun: don't spoil it by suing me.

**Author's note:** Some of the reviews for the last chapter said it was too short: I took that as a challenge. Here's the longest chapter I've written yet. Too long? Too detailed? Boring? Please, don't shy away from being honest! Read and review! All comments welcome! Oh, and the next updates probably gonna be three weeks away this time. Things look really tight for my schedule over the next few weeks.

* * *

**Tenth Move**

It was morning in Konoha, and in the Nara household, a quiet, deliberate ceremony was taking place. And it was an important ceremony indeed, for this ceremony symbolized the beginning of the new day, and the shedding and systematic removal of the vestiges and detritus and stench that a night of fitful sleep and restless dreams brought to any man.

The fact that they drooled in their sleep didn't help much, either. And their rooms were very musty, but how could that be helped? They didn't clean them, and Shikamaru's mom refused to lift a finger to clean them up, a sign of protest against the way she was being taken for granted. So that was that. They slept, coccooned in musty sheets and stale air, one refusing to subjugate herself to the others, while the others simply chose to ignore the hot, stinky elephant in their respective rooms.

But the equilibrium would shift soon. Inevitably, right would prevail, and Shikamaru and his father would be replacing sheets and scrubbing walls. For now, all parties simply held their breaths--less in anticipation, but more in an effort to not let the bad air in.

The younger of the two brushed his teeth, frenziedly stroking up and down, in and out, his mouth lathering up heavily. Placed randomly on top of the bathroom counter were dental floss, mouthwash, facial scrub, cotton buds, and cologne. Hygiene was not normally a big issue with him, but he was getting ready for big changes. For one thing, he was now the official guide to the Ambassador of Sunna. One wouldn't want to be slovenly, especially not him. At least, not in front of her.

The older man had some lather of his own, but this was from the foaming, mentholated shaving cream that he spread liberally all over his face. His eyes were narrowed, fiercely concentrated on the task at hand. His blade was poised, the basin filled almost to the brim with hot water. He grunted in irritation as the mirror fogged up again; he wiped it briskly with a handtowel.

They spoke, neither one looking at the other, each one absorbed in his own grooming. Mint filled Shikamaru's mouth, and the bathroom air had a hint of menthol. There was also a smell of alcohol from the older man, an artifact from the previous night's activities. Shikamaru had long ago learned to tolerate his father's habit. Anyway, it hasn't affected his health adversely, even after years of bingeing in good times and bad times and most of the times in between. His liver must be made of steel.

The older man broke the silence. "You're brushing a little hard, don't you think? You've been scrubbing for more than three minutes now."

Shikamaru scrubbed some more, then spat. "Got to get all the crud out."

"Why? Afraid your girlfriend will get turned off?" He inquired innocently, as hot steel met rough skin. It made a sound like a kunai scraping against pumice, which gave the man immense satisfaction.

"Dagh, pleashe." He took the mouthwash, gargled and spat. "Anyway, who're you to talk? You're just shaving because mom's been nagging you about it for weeks."

He flicked the razor, making the foam-scum splatter into the basin, where it dissolved like a lump of tofu in a bowl of clear miso soup."Come on, boy, you know she doesn't nag. It's just that she hates it when I don't. She likes it better when she's able to kiss me without getting a bad case of razorlip. And my day isn't complete without a smack from your mother."

"Oh, she smacks you, all right," Shikamaru said under his breath.

"Don't mumble, boy. It's not polite." Shikaku rubbed his chin contemplatively, making sure that everything turned out smoothly. "By the way, how did it turn out yesterday?" he asked cheerfully as he examined himself in the mirror. "Inoichi tells me that you passed by their flower shop yesterday morning. Did the advice Ino gave you work out?"

Shikamaru started rubbing the soap in his hands, a slippery bar with a distinctly antiseptic and neat scent. This was a man's soap--no pleasing fragrances from mysterious essential oils, no moisturizing or conditioning additives, no milk or honey. Just a good, basic cleaning agent. Very straightforward, which Shikamaru liked very much.

"Well, she did give me advice," he admitted, after rinsing and repeating. "But I wasn't able to follow through on it."

"What do you mean?" the father asked, affecting nonchalant interest. Having finished with his shaving, he dumped the fruits of his labor into the sink. "She's a woman, so her advice on romance should be gold."

Shikamaru proceeded to tell him about the events of the previous day. The blue rose, and the fiasco at the inn, and the near-disaster at _Ebi's Eatery_... all of it. Shikaku shook his head and smiled knowingly. _Ah, young people in love,_ he said to himself. _They never know how not to screw it up, or how to laugh when they do._

"Well, don't worry about it, Shikamaru. Time will come that you'll look back at all this and laugh."

"Sure hope that day comes soon. It was pretty embarrassing."

Shikaku laughed heartily at this as he set the basin aside. He didn't have the heart to bring up the current state of Inoichi's flower shop, or the deal they had struck the night before. Didn't matter, though. Chances are the boy would find out soon anyway.

"Oh come on, son, lighten up. You're still young, you've got your whole life ahead of you. If you can't laugh at this in three weeks time, then I can guarantee that you will forget all about it. What with all the other crap that's going to be coming your way."

"Thanks, dad. Talking to you always makes me feel better."

"Anytime, son."

* * *

Later that morning, Shikamaru picked up his authorization letter from Tsunade's. Matsuri handed him the scrolls. Her expression wasn't as antagonistic as it was yesterday, but it wasn't a friendly look either. Those who were well-versed in the nuances of politics would immediately recognize it: it said "here you go, kid, but next time, you'd better be careful what you wish for." 

Shikamaru, whose entire existence had up to now practically revolved around his friends, the ninja academy, and cloudwatching, failed to recognize the irony. He clutched the scroll tightly as he walked down the street, a look of proud determination on his face. And it made perfect sense, because he was the type of person who honored commitments.

His arrangement with Tsunade was a commitment. It was written down now, on a piece of paper for everyone to see, which gave him a certain sense of pride. There was something so satisfying about that scroll. It was a contract, a bond between two individuals. The contract specified the scope of his authority and the details of his duties. It was clear that he had just been given a responsibility, which was bad for the sloth-weasel inside him, but with responsibility came trust, which was good for the boy who was just old enough to want to be old enough.

_Besides,_ he thought as the scroll bounced lightly in his palm, _this scroll gives me the weight I need._

And it was true. For the past twenty-four hours, his stomach had been in knots. Ever since he had told her that lie, he felt like he was wearing an ill-fitting skin. He felt really badly about lies and misdirection, especially when it was direct and done face-to-face. Now that he had the scroll, the lie had become the truth.

Looking closely at it, he observed that it was written on transcriptive parchment. He had heard about this, often in the context of bureaucracy and clerical work. But he knew other things about it, from rumors and stories from friends of friends of friends. Some say--it didn't really matter who--that it was developed in the Sound Village. Essentially, this kind of paper collects sound waves and automatically converts phonic syllables into written words. There are different scrolls for different languages and dialects, and even more specialized scrolls can only be used by certain people, and will only reveal what's written when a certain password is spoken by a certain person. Voice recognition, they called it.

Everyone knew that the ANBU have made several covert missions into other villages, and have brought back several technologies. But the general consensus was that these special scrolls did not exist. The common kind, which was very convenient for making long letters, was a homegrown product of Konoha, and was not a product of espionage and reverse engineering. That was the official story, and it was an everyday fixture in the Konoha government nowadays. But even though it was mundane to most, getting this kind of paper was, for him, better than being a Chuunin. It even had Tsunade's seal on it.

And there was an envelope as well. "For the Ambassador of Sunna", it said, "to be delivered without delay". Well, looks like this is his first assignment.

"Hey Shikamaru! What's that?"

He turned, hiding the envelope in his jacket as he did so. Ino ran down the early-morning sunlit street behind him.

_That's odd. She's supposed to be at the shop. _"This scroll? Nothing, really. Just something I picked up from the Fifth's."

"What would Tsunade want with you?"

Shikamaru smiled smugly. "You want to know? Really?"

She slowed down as she caught up with him. "Of course I do, you jerk! That's a message from the Fifth Hokage! Why wouldn't I want to know?" _And why's he so happy?_

He tapped the scroll knowingly on the side of his head. "Well, I'm not sure if I should tell you. It's official state business, you know."

Her eyebrows jumped in surprise. "What, you mean you're a government lackey now? I bet that scroll's not even yours. I bet you're just the new mailman, and you've got to bring that to the next village."

"Nah, I'm a bit more important than that."

"Just tell me already, you dork! You don't have to be so cocky about it!"

"Well, if you must know, I'm the official guide to the ambassador of Sunna."

Her eyes brightened at this. "Wow!"

"Impressive, huh?"

"No, just really pathetic! You're a tour guide!" She laughed so hard that she gasped and clutched at her stomach.

"Hey, you may mock, but this is a position of trust. Look here," he says, yanking the scroll open. "I am to be the official liaison between Konoha local authorities and the ambassador of Sunna. In addition, I am to be a witness to all proceedings between the ambassador and local authority figures, as well as report the events during said proceedings to Tsunade herself. Furthermore, I am to render any additional services that the ambassador might feel she needs during her stay here."

Ino craned her neck and read along, and nodded politely. _Liaison to a liaison, huh? Sounds pretty redundant to me. And he's just gonna watch the meetings so Tsunade knows what's going on? _She stopped reading, and peered closely at the parchment. Her eyes widened as she realized what he had just read aloud. "Wait a minute. 'Her'?"

"Yes, her. As in Temari the fan ninja."

_So she's the ambassador. _Gears turned and wheels spun in her mind as she started thinking. Suddenly, she started to get inklings of what "additional services" could possibly mean; at that point, the gears ground to a halt and wheels screeched as she abruptly stopped that train of thought. _Yech. What are you thinking, Ino?_

"But that's obviously not what you wanted me for," Shikamaru remarked. "Why'd you run after me anyway? Is there anything you need?"

Ino collects herself, and tells him to air out his hakama and kimono. "I know how rarely you use it. It must smell very musty after being kept in his closet for so long. Make sure it's ready by Saturday."

Shikamaru looked at her quizzically. "What would I need my kimono for?"

She rested a hand on his shoulder, and fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly. "That's for our double date."

Shikamaru recoiled away from her. "A double-date!?"

"It was the only way I could convince Sakura to go out with Naruto." Ino kept her eyes fixed on him, with an expression of accusation, and the posture to match.

"Yeah, but couldn't you have found some other guy to go with you? You and Sakura are close friends, but Naruto and I just see each other around. Not that I really hate the guy or anything..." _Besides, I don't want to be around him for too long._

Her hands were on her waist, and she tapped one foot in irritation. "Look, what did you expect to happen? I'm still cleaning up after all those damned shadow clones rampaged through the shop. My dad's furious."

"Sorry, I forgot how troublesome Naruto could be." _Him and his big mouth._ "I'll stop by this afternoon if you want," he volunteered.

"Don't bother, it's just some last-minute stuff, like making sure there's no broken glass left for customers to hurt themselves on."

"Nobody walks barefoot in your flower shop," he retorted. "Anyway, why didn't you get Naruto and his stupid clones to help?"

"Are you seriously suggesting that I wanted them back in our shop?"

Shikamaru stopped. _Oh yeah. Right._ "No, but they could've helped anyway," he replied.

Ino let out an exaggerated sigh. "They've helped enough, thanks. Look, just get your hakama ready. You can pick me up at ten-thirty, and we'll meet Naruto and Sakura there."

Shikamaru, not wanting to exhaust himself so early in the day, resorted to his default You-Win-I-Give-Up tactic. "Sure, sure. If I go on this double-date, will you let me off the hook about the rose?" _Wonder if it's still there. I hope to hell that the old lady didn't throw it away._

"Are you kidding? This is something else entirely. You didn't have to send Naruto to me, but you did. Sooooo," she sang, trotting in front of him. "now you're duty-bound to join me."

"Tch."

She walked backward, so they remained face to face. "Of course, you could tell me who your girlfriend is..."

"Not gonna happen."

"Don't pout. It'll be fun. Anyway, you ask me for advice on how to treat girls romantically, so this is a chance for you to test the water."

He frowned and looked up, as if he were imploring the gods to give him strength. _Yeah, the old sink-or-swim. People are so lazy about education nowadays. Anyway, at least I'm not going out with her yet. It's just going to be Naruto and Ino and--_

_Oh gods. __If they talk about me behind my back, they might just put it together..._

"What the hell. Guess I'll really have to go. I just hope the old man is willing to give me some cash on such short notice. I can barely pay for my own meals, let alone treat you to this wonderful dinner."

"It's a lunch date, but you don't have to worry. Your dad's already agreed to take care of it."

That threw him off. "What, my dad? When did he say that?"

"Well, apparently, my dad told him what happened to our shop. Your dad felt pretty bad about it, so he's agreed to pay for our lunch date."

He walked on with well-practiced nonchalance. His dad was playing a tune again, and just like yesterday Ino was dancing to it. _Here he goes again. And I thought he wanted me to go after Temari. What is he thinking? And why didn't he mention it this morning?_ More questions came, but he decided to address them later. "What's our lunch date got to do with your shop?"

Ino shrugged. "Who knows? I'm just happy that we can afford to go someplace decent for a change."

"Mind telling me where that is?"

"Yaminogakura," she intoned proudly. "You know, that Japanese grill in the middle of the commercial district? Since we're going in the daytime, the crowd's not going to be so bad, and we won't be bothering anybody. It's not too fancy, but we still need to dress nice, otherwise we won't get in at all. I've already made the reservation. 'Yamanaka, party of four?' Oh, it's going to be so great to hear that! I feel like a VIP!"

He looked dumbfounded as she preened, giggled, and sashayed, the ultimate display in mock elegance. Seeing Ino try to act like the upper crust was as unnerving as seeing a flying monkey. He gaped for a bit, but collected himself. "Yeah, yeah. By the way, thanks for asking me before making the reservation."

She stopped and smiled. "Sure, no problem. And thanks for asking before telling Naruto to ask me for help with Sakura." Here eyes glinted like teeth, telling him all he needed to know about what would happen if he didn't shut up. "Anyway, got to go. Still cleaning up the shop. Just wanted to make sure you were ready for our date." She beamed at him, and ran off. "And you'd better buy me really nice flowers, Shika!"

"Yeah, yeah," he yelled back, and cursed his twice-damned luck. He didn't even know any flower shops aside from Ino's.

* * *

Shikamaru made his way to the inn, and was mildly surprised to find Temari waiting in front. She told him that she'd been there for half an hour; she didn't feel like getting her head hurt again that day, and decided to wait for him in the street, where there would be witnesses to rush to her aid if anything happened. 

He hands her the envelope, and she read it aloud as they strolled down the street. The message was a request from the Hyuuga clan, who wished to extend an amicable hand to the ambassador of Sunna. Temari has been asked to meet with Hinata, the daughter of the head clan; the ambassador's official guide was also invited.

"So are we going?"

Temari shrugged. "I'm not really sure yet."

Shikamaru was surprised. "Not the answer I was expecting."

"What are you talking about?"

"Real diplomats would jump at this opportunity. What happened to making a good impression?"

Temari waved her hands incredulously."Come on! I've seen what those guys are like. They don't care about me or my country, they just want to look good. Why should I care what they think?"

"Yeah you're probably right," Shikamaru conceded. "The Hyuugas have always been all about name and reputation, as if they were specially favored or something. Of course they are, in a way, but that doesn't make it right for them to rub it in people's faces all the time."

It wasn't that he really felt that from the Hyuugas personally. He just saw the way they treated people like Naruto, who didn't have any family, or Sasuke, whose brother killed his family and disgraced the name.

That was the ugly thing about having a name like Hyuuga or Uchiha. The name's no longer something that represents you. The situation gets turned around, and the name becomes something that you represent. You live up to it, or you disgrace it. That's why he was glad to be a Nara. It was an ordinary name that nobody expected anything from.

Temari snorted out her contempt, pulling him back into the real world. "Did you listen to the letter? I don't think they have any idea why I'm here in the first place!" She grinned evilly. "You know what? Let's accept their offer, but give the Hyuuga's brat the silent treatment. See how she likes being ignored."

"Hey, come on. The Hyuugas are assholes as a whole," he said, "but Hinata's nice. We went through the ninja academy together, so I know she's cool. In fact, she's the most likeable one of the bunch. That's probably why she's going to be their representative."

"Or since she's just a little girl, she has the least importance in the clan. I bet they don't think we're important, really, but decided that they still had to make an impression."

"Maybe. But you shouldn't take that as a license to treat Hinata like crap. Anyway, just because you're an ambassador doesn't mean all your actions are excusable."

She raised her hands in a conciliatory fashion. "All right, all right. Sheesh, bite my head off." A thought came to her. "Hey, why are you defending her so much?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, I get it," she squealed delightedly. "How very precious!"

"Shut up."

She patted him on the shoulder. "No, I really think it's cute! And it's perfect! She's nice and rich. Get in her family and you've got it made! That's probably the only reason you took this job."

He shook the hand off. "Look, you don't know what you're talking about. I'm doing this because Tsunade told me to. As for Hinata, she's a sweet kid, but I don't like her like that. Besides, she's already got someone she likes."

She derived a great deal of pleasure from his reaction; there was something really fun about getting under his skin. She also noted of the phrase "sweet kid". _That's a laugh._ "Oh really? Who?"

"Why is this so interesting to you?"

"Because it is! Come on. Tell me who!"

"I'd rather not, thanks. Not my place to say." _Yeah. Would be pretty hypocritical of me to expect other people to respect my secrets if I didn't respect theirs._

"Ooookay."

"Not as if it's that big a secret. You'll figure it out. It's plain as daylight."

"So why don't you tell me anyway?"

"Because I don't have to. I thought I'd made my point."

"What point?"

"A man doesn't do anything unless it's absolutely necessary."

"You really are lazy."

"I'm not lazy, you're just bossy. So are we granting their request?"

"Sure, why not? It's nice to meet new people. I'd hate to have to be stuck with your face the whole time I'm here."

"It's such an honor being at your service."

"Don't you forget that, shadowboy."

They would be going to Hoshisen on Sunday. Apparently, the Hyuugas had already made arrangements, as if Temari refusing her offer would be inconceivable. Thankfully, it didn't overlap with Shikamaru's double-date with Ino, but two consecutive days of eating out with women was going to be troublesome.

It was a restaurant that had rooms, and bonsai trees, and a Zen garden. The bathrooms, it was said, were magnificent, and the toilets were clean enough to eat ramen from--not that anyone had been brave enough to try. It was also the kind of eating place with no kitchen in sight, and the staff remained unseen unless they asked what you wanted, brought the food you wanted, and collected the money you paid. Sliding doors gave privacy, as long as the people within did not shout, and spoke in hushed tones.

"I hope they allow kids in, though. Unaccompanied, I mean," Shikamaru thought aloud. "Even though we're pretty much all VIPs, we're still pretty young."

She scoffed condescendingly. "Speak for yourself. I saw people get killed long before you were an itch in your father's pants."

"..."

"What?"

"You know that was creepy, right?"

She cocked her head at him. "Really? I thought it was pretty funny."

"Then Gaara must be frigging hilarious," he replied, scratching his head.


End file.
